Dr Erwan Moysan

Publication

• Date
• Type

Research

Thesis

A Marxist Critique of the Soviet Economy

This thesis analyses Soviet economic history through the lens of Karl Marx’s critique of political economy. In doing so this thesis helps clarify Marx’s concept of the capitalist mode of production and its core features and, following, Marx’s conception of communist society. This thesis finds that all of the core features of the capitalist mode of production defined the Soviet economy and demonstrates that the Soviet Union was a young capitalist society. Marx’s thought is demonstrated to be divorced from the Soviet Union, thus refuting criticism of his thought on the basis of such an association. This thesis refutes other theories about the Soviet Union, such as Trotskyist theories of a degenerated workers’ state or transitional society or theories of the Soviet Union being neither socialist nor capitalist, such as the theory of bureaucratic collectivism. This thesis also refutes previous theories of a capitalist Soviet Union. The core originality of the thesis lies in demonstrating that competition of capitals took place both domestically within the Soviet Union and in the context of the Soviet Union’s often ignored relation to the world market, using this to improve a previously theorised Marxian theory of the Soviet economy’s long crisis and collapse based on the concept of a crisis of absolute overproduction of capital. In the course of its demonstration, this thesis explores Marx’s thought, notably on the capitalist mode of production, communist society, world revolution and Russia; the development of economic relations before the Russian Revolution up until the Soviet Union’s collapse; the relation between the Soviet Union and the world market; Soviet agriculture’s difficult development; the private sector in the Soviet economy; Soviet state industry; class struggle in the Soviet Union; the Soviet Union’s catch-up economy and its crisis; Stalinist ideology; and various theories about the nature of the Soviet Union.

Teaching

This year I am teaching seminars in the following modules:

• Introduction to Political Thought (2023-2024 Autumn Semester)
• Introduction to Political Science (2023-2024 Spring Semester)

I have taught the following modules:

• Introduction to Political Thought (2022-2023 Autumn Semester)
• Introduction to Political Science (2022-2023 Spring Semester)

I am an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Supervisors

Graeme Garrard

Professor in Politics