Socialism and Ethics

Marxism proved for the first time in a scientific manner that the source of moral thoughts are the historically evolving modes of production evolving law-governed structures in the social life and the progress of the material and intellectual culture. Thus Marxist ethics throws light on the nature of morality its place in the social life and the specific reflection of social being in the moral consciousness. An important task of Marxist ethics is to study the evolution of human morality which goes on in the form of the history of struggle between the socio-economic structures and the ethical thoughts of classes and the policy-conduct related opinions reflecting this process. Marxism establishes that at individual level the moral principles are not established by the philosophers belonging to this or that stream rather they are formed in the process of social practice. Moral principles reflect the experience of entire masses and different classes of numerous generations. Marxist ethics also analyses the nature of morality studies it in the form of an aspect of man’s social activities and in the form of a special variety of social relations and consciousness. By exposing the scientific basis and social character of morality Marxism clarifies the real meaning of the basis of moral judgment and human liberty. Socialism and Ethics by Howard Selsam one of the leading Marxist thinker and writer of his time in the U.S. has been quite famous as a popular and simple exposition of Marxist ethics. It is unique in presenting an extremely simple explanation of a difficult philosophical subject like ethics. It was published for the first time in 1943 from International Publishers New York. It is a matter of immense delight for us to present it before the Indian readers. We are hopeful that they readers would find it useful and thought-provoking.