THE DISENCHANTMENT OF MARXISM AND REVOLUTIONARY POLITICS IN MARLEAU-PONTY: AN IDEAL FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Christian Agama

Our Lady of Fatima

P.O. Box 97, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State

Email: christianagama19@gmail.com

Abstract: Maurice Merleau-Ponty who uses Marxism to analyze the social struggle and violence from the standpoint of economic relation once believes that our society can only be changed positively through revolutionary violence. But later, he changed his mind and has it that it is no longer suitable to every society. He postulates that it will hinder the present relationships and of course the national development. He therefore avers that civilization can only come when there is unity – a growing relationship of man to man. He believes that there will be development when everybody puts hand together for common work of production and complement every ones effort. This essay, however, tries to make a critical study of Merleau-ponty’s political philosophy and reveal this political ideal of him and investigate its possible relevance to Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.

Keywords: Marxism, Production, Development, Economic, Socialization