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Abstract

This paper clarifies and defends economic determination as a defining principle of explanation of Marxist political economy and state theory. Economic determination is a principle of causation or explanation which involves the claim that "politics" is "explained" by "economics" in a relevant sense of those three terms. This principle is refined by clarifying the meaning of each of these terms, particularly focusing on "determination." A defense is mounted on theoretical grounds by showing that Jessop's critique of "reductionism" and related argument for "contingency" does not succeed. Economic determination is defined as a strong tendency but consistent with a notion of the relative autonomy of the state.

Keywords

Economic determination Reductionism Contingency Relative autonomy

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Marxism and economic determination: clarification and defence of an "old-fashioned" principle

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