According to esteemed Marxian economist and political commentator Prabhat Patnaik, capitalism inherently restricts individual freedom because every participant is driven by systemic pressures. He asserts that authentic freedom demands a shift beyond capitalism, envisioning a cooperative system built on collective ownership, free from economic coercion and the feeling of alienation.
Speaking in Vijayawada about his latest book, ‘Beyond Liberalism’ — a Marxist critique of liberal ideology — the former Economics professor emphasized the urgent necessity of collective action and socialist transformation. This call to action is particularly vital amidst the ongoing crisis of neoliberal capitalism and the global erosion of freedom.
Patnaik’s book directly challenges two fundamental liberal assumptions: that liberalism champions individual freedom while Marxism does not, and that capitalism guarantees individual liberty while socialism stifles it.
“Both assertions are false,” he firmly argues, stressing that Marxism is deeply committed to individual freedom, which he believes can only be truly realized under a socialist system, not within a capitalist framework.
Drawing on the Marxist perspective of the individual within capitalism, Mr. Patnaik explained that people operating under this system are not truly free. Instead, they are compelled by inherent systemic forces and intense competition. He highlighted how capitalism relies on a “reserve army of labour” (the unemployed) to enforce discipline among workers through the constant “threat of job loss.” This dynamic creates ‘economic coercion,’ where production necessitates strict coordination not through overt force, but through the pervasive fear of unemployment. Consequently, individuals, including capitalists themselves, become ‘alienated and unfree,’ perpetually driven by the relentless demands of market forces.