The Challenges of a Non-Moralistic and Non-Romantic Critique of Capitalism

Abstract

The commentary discusses O Avesso de Marx (2024) by José Crisóstomo de Souza, a work that reinterprets historical materialism through a social ontology centered on "sensible praxis," rejecting essentialisms and proposing an affirmative project of emancipation. Despite its theoretical contribution, the analysis questions the neglect of the Marxist critique of exploitation and fetishism, fundamental mechanisms for understanding capitalist domination. It argues that by displacing dialectical negativity in favor of an exuberant normativity, the author dilutes the analysis of material contradictions — such as the subsumption of labor and financialization — reproducing abstractions that limit the political efficacy of his proposal. The conclusion is that the absence of mediations between ontology and concrete critique weakens the emancipatory potential of the project, reinforcing the urgency of reclaiming the immanence of Marxist critique.