The Arguments group was centrally concerned with
Karl Marx's notion of the transcendence of
philosophy. They critically examined
Karl Marx's early writings, especially his critique of philosophy in his Doctoral Thesis, where he states, "the world's becoming philosophical is at the same time philosophy's becoming worldly, that its realization is at the same time its loss". The group grappled with the meaning of this "realization" of philosophy, questioning whether
Marx had moved beyond traditional philosophical thought and whether Marxism needed revision to achieve this transcendence. In addressing these questions, the Arguments group turned to
existentialist thinkers like
Martin Heidegger and
Jean-Paul Sartre. They engaged with existentialist ideas of
subjectivity, the relationship between theory and action, and the critique of
alienation. They saw in existentialism a way to understand the lived experience of individuals in modern society, particularly the experience of alienation.
Axelos Kostas Axelos edited
Arguments and later the group's book series. He proposed a "planetary thought" characterized by openness, fragmentation, and
poetic expression, drawing on figures like
Pascal,
Nietzsche, and
Rimbaud. He critiqued Marx's concept of "
homo faber", arguing that it reduced subjectivity to tool-making and did not adequately account for the spiritual dimension of human experience. Axelos saw
Marx's concept of alienation as flawed and believed that Marx did not successfully integrate
materialism and
spiritualism. For Axelos, Marx's thought remained rooted in the Western
metaphysical tradition and did not constitute a new type of thinking. He advocated for a rethinking of the relationship between philosophy and the world, suggesting that Marx had not fully moved beyond traditional philosophical frameworks.
Fougeyrollas Pierre Fougeyrollas advanced a "fragmentary thought" that rejected systematization, influenced by Heidegger. He emphasized the
dialectic not as a rigid method but as a critical tool for understanding totality and contradiction. He advocated for a constantly evolving and self-critical understanding of the world and human experience.
Lefebvre Henri Lefebvre developed the concept of "everyday life" as a realm of alienated experience under advanced capitalism. Informed by Sartre, he saw everyday life as both a site of alienation and potential resistance. Lefebvre explored the ways in which capitalism shapes the daily experiences of individuals through "controlled
consumption" and
bureaucracy. He advocated for a "metaphilosophy" that engaged with lived experience, recognizing the significance of seemingly mundane aspects of social life. Lefebvre argued that to transform everyday life and achieve true human emancipation, a "permanent cultural revolution" was required. ==References==