Marx and Curry

 

 Karl Marx has been vilified, misunderstood and his views were nodus for our country for as long as I can remember. He was falsely accused of being anti spiritual, and wishing for uniformity and subordination. It should be noted that the totalitarian and industrial communist method of production definitely and significantly do not promote Marx’s core idea of optimum human growth and development. Marx definitely had a clear opinion regarding the problem of money “Money, since it has the property of purchasing everything, of appropriate objects in itself, is therefore the object par excellence. The universal character of this property corresponds to the omnipotence of money, which is regarded as an omnipotent being…. Money is the pander between need and object, between human life and the means of sustenance. But that which meditates my life meditates also the existence of other men for me. It is for me the other person.” He also believed in the prophetic potential for man attaining self- actualization. Moreover, Marx’s writings of Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts were first translated into English in 1959 by T. B. Bottomore. This essay focuses on Karl Marx’s humanistic philosophy of man.

For Marx, the importance of labor is paramount for man in order for him to be able to have control by his own accord.  In work, its better when man starts, regulates and controls the material reactions between himself and his work. By acting on the external world and changing it, he at same time changes his own essence or nature. Thus, labor is a self-expression of man incorporating individual physical, mental, loving and affiliative powers.

With that being said, Marxist criticism of capitalism is not related to the injustice of the distribution of wealth. Instead its perversion of labor into forced, alienated, meaningless labor. For moments too long, I dug ditches with shovel and sorted packages on a UPS assembly line. I know about meaningless labor. Marx believed that meaningless labor, crippled man’s potential transformation. This crippling, can occur, when stuck in a specialized task or job .This makes him a slave and as a slave he becomes alienated. For Marx, socialism was emancipation from this tendency toward alienation. When successful, man becomes able to pursue his self-realization. Further, if alienated, one experiences the world passively and receptively .The subject now becomes separated from the object. The goal In Marxist thinking,” man is not what he ought to be and that he ought to be, but which he could be.”

With capitalism, labor exists for the process of production and consumption. The mode of capitalistic production, in essence, results in the destruction of individuality and enslavement to things and circumstances of one’s own making. This alienation leads to existential egotism; and the human essence of alienated labor separates man from his own body, his mental and the totality of his human life. On the other hand, with humanism, the potentials for reason, wisdom, love, creativity, and solidarity are now in play to be fully developed. If fully developed, it enables man to become and lead a life that is more meaningful and enriched. Being well informed, responsible, rational, moral, and spiritual are other likely outcomes.

Briefly, man is what he does. With capitalism he generally is captive to a society, a socioeconomic class and not able to develop and liberate himself or his potential. His human capacity is thwarted by what and how he produces. In other words, man is able to develop fully when he is not captive to production and consumption, or being a clog in the machine, in today’s bureaucracy, or being replaced by automation. It’s important and necessary for man to fully and be able to develop his physical powers, mental excellence, and ability to love self and others. However, when he is a laborer or in a job that saps his vitality, energy, and his human passions his active participation suffers. Notice we are not talking about wages, bonuses, vacation time, sick leave, cost of living, health insurance etc. We are talking about meaningful employment that enables man to become humanistic, not egoistic in his relationship with self and with others in his life space. In Maslow’s terminology, we call this becoming self-actualized.

 Do not overlook the fact that labor in an economic, political, and religious culture significantly affects the development of character with the creation of desires pursuant to that particular culture creation. For example, in a neoliberalism culture, passions for power, possession and prestige become synthetic or false “needs” for man, not his true needs. Marx wrote “The existence of what I truly love is felt by me as a necessity, as the need, without which my essence cannot be fulfilled, satisfied, complete.”

Will the recent purchase and possession of the mega plane and yacht for Bezos overcome and change the meaning of his adoption?  No, his adoption is a psychological fact and reality and that can’t be changed! Yes, he can rationalize, distort and create new fiction and illusions. However, the narcissistic injury to his psyche remains untouched. He has remarkably succeeded in being the wealthiest in terms of money but, according to Marx, has not fully developed.

When thinking about man being alive, being productive, playful, joyous, fun, and highly and competitively motivated, professional athletes comes to mind. Steph Curry, in my opinion, captures the essence of Karl Marx’s philosophy of man. Curry is on his way to fully developing his physical, mental, spiritual and humanistic ideals with his unions with others in labor that he loves.  Tom Brady is in the same category.

For a moment, just think about Steph’s physical prowess and perceptual motor ability. Watch him dribble a ball between his legs using both of his hands. Watch him dribble between and among 2 to 3 opposing players while driving to the basket. He can make a basket, while in the air, with either hand near or under the basketball rim. Recently, while at one side of the court, Curry threw a pass to a teammate on the other side of the court. The ball was thrown with such accuracy, speed and skill that it flew over a seven foot or so opposing players head into the arms of his teammate who made a three-point shot.

Steph’s physical and aerobic condition is also very impressive. He seems to be in constant motion while playing over 30 minutes a game. I’ve never seen him bending over from exhaustion. His lung and oxygen capacity is impressive based on his endurance. I’ve even seen Curry on a stationary bike while resting on the bench. His three-point shots from tremendous distances are amazing and he’s been called the best shooter ever. His agility, being able to jump and move is fun to watch.

Steph’s mental and cognitive ability are also special and well-developed. Defenses change against him, and at times, he’s surrounded by two and three players at a time. He has to know when to shoot and when the pass the ball to an open teammate. He also knows how to get open or to receive a pass from a teammate. He is a joy to watch. To see him smiling and laughing, interacting while practicing all kinds and types of shots, bouncing the ball off the floor, reminds me of a young boy playing with sheer delight and joy.

Yes, Steph Curry is a tremendous basketball player but is also very humanistic. During the pandemic, he’s involved in giving away food to the needy. Recently, the NAACP awarded him the Jackie Robinson Man of the Year. Yes he makes a lot of money, but the dollar amount is not his prime motivation for playing a game that he loves. His splash brother teammate Klay Thompson is miserable. Klay has not played this season because of injury. Klay is rehabbing and sits on the bench during home games. Klay still gets his million-dollar salary but is unable to play and engage himself in the activity that he loves. Quoting Goethe, one of Marx’s favorite poets “ Neither possession, nor power, or sensuous satisfaction can fulfill man’s desire for meaning in his life; he remains in all this separate from the whole, hence unhappy.”

During past conversations with my friend Thom Darden an All-American and All-Pro football player, we talked about his love for the game and the friends, and coaches associated. During one Pro season, while Thom was rehabilitating, he talked about going up to the top of the Browns Stadium with one of his coaches to analyze, study and figure out tendencies of the various opposing team offenses. Yes, professional sports are cerebral. Tom Brady is noted for his strict practices, diet and nutrition as well as his spending hours and hours watching game tape. Professional athletes know that physical attributes are important as well as the cerebral part of the game.

For me, being in my eighth decade, I am pleased and thrilled that I run approximately 75K miles during a six day week. Then in the afternoons, I read and write like in the 3Rs and then spend time with Linda. I have health, joy and well-being in my life. However, I do miss our family reunions with Bev, cousins and friends in the Ann Arbor area. I am troubled when I heard that one of my favorite cousins Shelley has a Parkinson’s diagnosis. That news brings sadness.

I have not run a competitive running race since l February, 2020. I admit that I miss the competitiveness and sense of satisfaction during those events especially after when Tony and I direct our attention to ice cream.

In summary, being a professional athlete gives that individual an opportunity to develop physical, intellectual, and humanistic interactions. Employing Karl Marx’s philosophy, being in a job that you love, with joy, enthusiasm, drive, competitiveness, connectedness and mastery allows one to take advantage of the human passions and puts that individual in a great position to fully develop his potential. When physically healthy, alcoholism, drugs, missing work, money disputes does not enter the equation when one performs the right labor in our capitalistic society.

Are Tom Brady and Steph Curry Marx socialists? Yes! For Marx, socialism is not being alienated; not being exploited nor exploiting others; and importantly creating the conditions for fulfillment within the humanistic principles of their life. For these men, it’s more about the competitiveness and joy while playing the game. Moreover, they have created, with their labor, the opportunity and conditions for self-fulfillment by not chasing synthetic or false illusions. Do the NFL and the NBA incorporate Marx’s philosophy regarding man?  No! They are true proponents for the revenue and profits of capitalism. Belichick, the genius, didn’t rehire Brady. Brady wanted to play and was hired by Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl. The Patriots, with their genius coach, never made the playoffs. The odds makers in Las Vegas are betting on Tampa Bay to win next year’s Super Bowl because they know Brady still wants to play. Brady and Curry will more than likely retire on their terms. Have you found your path, in your life for humanistic being?

PS

Karl Marx’s daughter Eleanor wrote that Shakespeare was another of her father’s favorite poets. “He was the Bible of our house, seldom out of our hands or mouth. By the time I was six, I knew scene upon scene of Shakespeare by heart.”