Abstract:
This article reexamines Marx's critique of the Robinson Crusoe stories of Political Economy. Political Economy, according to Marx, starts from an isolated individual without social determinations. This is supposed to be the natural condition of mankind and this is personified by Robinson Crusoe on his island. Following Marx's ontological critique, Robinson Crusoe's stories of Political Economy are considered to be an illusory and theoretical representation covering the real conditions of capitalist society. In the first section of this article, the Robinson Crusue stories of Political Economy are reviewed, pointing to his conception of human nature and society. This section also shows that this is a lasting conception of man in economics. In the second section, we developed Marx's explanation for this conception of man through the method of ontological critique. Finally, in the last section it is suggested that Marx's critique of Robinson Crusoe stories of Political Economy doesn't imply the irrelevance of theoretical and ethical significance of individuals.
Keywords:
individuals; political economy; ontological critique