From March 12 to 14, 2025, the second to fourth sessions of the “Reform and Opening-up Theory and Practice” Distinguished Lecture Series were successfully held at Shenzhen University. The event was jointly hosted by the Institute for Reform and Opening-up Studies, the School of Marxism, and the Shenzhen International Development Strategy Research Center. The lectures took place in the 1600 and 2623 meeting rooms of the Huiwen Building at Shenzhen University. Professor Smail Rapic from the Department of Philosophy at the University of Wuppertal and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Cologne delivered three outstanding lectures on “Nancy Fraser’s Contemporary Capitalism Critique Theory,” “Wolfgang Streeck’s Theory of Capitalism’s Decline,” and “Axel Honneth’s Critique of Marxism.” The lectures were moderated by Professor Zhang Shoukui, Vice Dean of the School of Marxism at Shenzhen University, with academic translation provided by Assistant Professor Deng Pan. Many faculty members and students attended and engaged in the lectures.
Throughout the three lectures, Professor Rapic provided a detailed analysis of the contemporary capitalist crisis theories of Nancy Fraser, Wolfgang Streeck, and Axel Honneth, comparing their ideas with Marx and Engels' theories and other Western Marxist scholars' views. Based on his unique understanding, Professor Rapic also offered insightful commentary on the theories of these scholars.
First Lecture: Nancy Fraser’s Contemporary Capitalism Critique Theory
On the afternoon of March 12, Professor Rapic explored the contemporary capitalism critique theory of Nancy Fraser, a significant representative of new Marxist feminism in the United States. He provided a systematic explanation of Fraser’s multidimensional analysis of the contemporary capitalist crisis and conducted an in-depth study of the contributions and limitations of her theoretical framework.
Professor Rapic first introduced Fraser’s core viewpoints, particularly her assertion that the crisis of contemporary capitalism has a “multidimensional” nature, far surpassing traditional economic categories. Fraser identified three key contradictions:
Ecological Contradiction: Capital reduces nature to a mere resource supplier, ignoring environmental destruction and structurally obstructing sustainable development.
Social Reproduction Crisis: Unpaid caregiving labor (primarily performed by women) is marginalized, despite being essential for the functioning of capitalism.
Political Contradiction: Capital accumulation depends on democratic power, yet oligarchic monopolies erode democracy, leading to a crisis of legitimacy.
Fraser advocated for combining Marx’s theory of capital accumulation with Polanyi’s analysis of “marketization and counter-movements” to reveal the multidimensional contradictions of capitalism. Professor Rapic acknowledged Fraser’s contributions in incorporating gender, ecology, and political power into critical theory, arguing that her attempt to integrate non-economic areas into Marxist theory opened up new dimensions for analyzing capitalism. However, he also pointed out the limitations of her “descriptive analysis,” suggesting that any description could be criticized as incomplete or subjective.
Second Lecture: Wolfgang Streeck’s Theory of Capitalism’s Decline
On the morning of March 13, Professor Rapic analyzed the theory of capitalism’s decline proposed by the renowned German sociologist Wolfgang Streeck. He explored the deep structural contradictions and potential risks faced by capitalism through Streeck’s theoretical framework and the perspectives of scholars such as Wallerstein and Collins.
Professor Rapic explained Streeck’s concept of the confrontation between “state citizens” and “market citizens,” which Streeck discusses in his work How Will Capitalism End? This confrontation symbolizes the tension between democratic societies’ efforts to protect citizens’ rights and the market participants’ logic of maximizing profits, resulting in a crisis of capitalist legitimacy. Professor Rapic also highlighted Streeck’s analysis of the 2008 global financial crisis, attributing it to the long-term effects of neoliberal policies, especially the supply-side economic policies adopted by Anglo-American countries in the late 1970s.
Third Lecture: Axel Honneth’s Critique of Marxism
In the afternoon of March 14, Professor Rapic explored Axel Honneth’s critique of Marxism in his book The Idea of Socialism, offering important perspectives on the future of socialism in the context of current Western political dilemmas.
Professor Rapic discussed Honneth’s three key critiques of Marxism, particularly the notion that Marxism oversimplifies society by reducing it to economic determinism. Honneth also criticized Marxism for regarding the proletariat as the sole agent of historical change, neglecting the role of diverse social actors. Honneth’s critique, according to Rapic, called for a revision of historical materialism, but Professor Rapic emphasized the importance of retaining historical materialism's self-reflection and its ability to offer critical tools for transforming capitalism.
Conclusion
The three lectures were met with enthusiastic applause from faculty and students. During the interactive session, attendees engaged with Professor Rapic, who provided detailed and professional answers to their questions. Professor Zhang Shoukui expressed gratitude for the insightful lectures and concluded that Professor Rapic’s presentations significantly expanded the academic horizons of the participants, providing valuable new perspectives on contemporary Marxist research.
After the lectures, Professor Rapic engaged in friendly discussions with faculty and students, and they took group photos together.
