Leo Deng

The Intersection of Marxism and Existentialism: from Materialist Philosophy to Political Praxis

Advisor: Kevin Zollman
Major: Philosophy and Art
Minors: Literature and Culture; Philosophy; Social and Political History

Abstract

The objective for this thesis is to analyze the intersection of Marxism and Existentialism as materialist theories of philosophical and political praxis in Jean Paul-Sartre’s "Critique of Dialectical Reason" and reap the lessons for social movements in the 21st century. Existentialism’s humanist focus on agency and freedom coincides with Marxism’s sociological focus on economic oppression and social alienation in a brilliant unity for political change. Sartre’s dialectical use of both contributes to the creation of novel concepts like ‘need,’ ‘seriality,’ the ‘group-in-fusion’ and the ‘practico-inert’ that have not been rigorously incorporated into a model of praxis nor studied as thoroughly as it should have been. The goal is to interpret Sartre’s theoretical conversion to Marxism as an Existentialist, and thus how he altered his project for the Marxist project of emancipating the colonized and working peoples of the world. Operating in an immensely chaotic yet potent center of idea-production, Sartre’s predominant position as one of the most loved playwrights and novelists in France from the 40s-60s plays a foundational role in how young adult culture and students thought and fought for social change. The culmination of political unrest in the May 1968 uprising, and the multiplicity of ideologically distinct and unique factions who came together for this, is exemplary of the sphere Sartre reciprocally both reflected but also created. How this research can be incorporated into theoretical and organizational tools for a renewed critique of political economy — and the accounting for individual agency (freedom) in political change — will be formulated into this final thesis.

Bio

I’m Leo, a first generation Asian-American from Long Island, NY. I currently attend Carnegie Mellon University. My academic research mainly deals with 20th century Marxist philosophy and the gradient of humanism to anti-humanism in post-war France (Guy Debord, Jean-Paul Sartre and especially Louis Althusser). I’m immensely influenced by Theodor Adorno and Fredric Jameson, too, enjoying the intersectional uses of psychoanalytic theory, phenomenology and critical theory to analyze social phenomena (epochal changes in history, norm/value creation, social alienation, etc.). Lastly, I also have a solid foundation in Analytic Philosophy from my home institution and enjoy making connections to Continental Philosophy, though I specialize in the latter thanks to Duquesne University’s hospitable Philosophy department.

Outside of work you can usually find me reading revolutionary history, debating friends about music, giving speeches at rallies and distance running with my cross-country team. As for my artistic practice, I mainly deal with the mediums of mixed media conceptual art, performance art and painting, usually all with a philosophical inspiration. I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Philosophy with dual programs in Art History or Comparative Literature, or I will pursue a Ph.D. in an interdisciplinary program such as Theory and Criticism, Rhetoric, History of Consciousness, Cultural Studies, etc.