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About this quote

What does it mean?
The author claims Marxism pretends to be scientific, making it easier to portray society and leadership as scientifically justified, even when they are not.
In plain terms
Marxism masquerades as science to justify societal and leadership actions.
What can you take from it?
Pretending to be scientific helps Marxism legitimize policies.

Where it applies

  • political critique
  • media studies

Putting it to work

  • exposing pseudo‑scientific claims
  • teaching scientific literacy

Questions to consider

  • How can we differentiate genuine science from pseudo‑science?
  • What are the risks of scientific veneer in politics?

Another view

Some argue Marxism provides a systematic analysis of material conditions, not mere pretence.

More from Aleksandr Zinovyev

  1. Historically, Marxism was born with the ambition of explaining everything in the world scientifically. It is known, that Marx even dealt with mathematics. Alth…

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  2. Unlike science, an ideology is constructed of conventional ambigous expressions, which require interpretation. It is impossible to verify or experimentally con…

    Permalink to quote #11
  3. But the [communist] authorities acquire from Marxism a splendid method and abounding phraseology to justify whatever piggery.

    Permalink to quote #8

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