N.º 5 – MARX, MORALITY AND JUSTICE

With this Master’s dissertation it is addressed the problem of whether there is or not an ethical foundation in the Marxist critique of capitalism and its defense of socialism and communism is supported or not in a theory of justice. In the Introduction, the theme is presented. The first part of the text is fundamentally descriptive. In the first five chapters, it seeks to trace an overview on the ongoing debate, especially in the Anglo-Saxon world, around and the issues that are considered related. Chapter 1 starts with the problem of the concept of Justice in Marx. Chapter 2 sets out the arguments of authors who argue that there is an anti-moralistic position in his thoughts. Chapter 3 reflects on the problem of potential injustice present in capitalist exploitation, and chapter 4 compares Marx’s positions with the contractualist moral, the deontological, the utilitarian, and the Aristotelian views. And Chapter 5 exposes the arguments of authors that defend the presence of an ethic of liberation in the Marxist critique of capitalism. Chapter 6 criticizes some Marx’s positions related to this theme and argue that the end of capitalism is only a possibility whose realization requires a moral commitment to the defense of a freer society, more just and more egalitarian. And in the Final Considerations, we argue that the critique of capitalist society will necessarily have to rely on the defense of a theory of justice that guarantees all people the possibility of self-realization, by providing their basic needs and the development of all its capabilities.

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