Marxism, Analytical Philosophy and Intellectual Sovereignty: a Philosophical Perspective from the Global South

Abstract

An interview with Dr. Saman Pushpakumara, University of Sri Lanka, discusses the relevance and significance of Marxist philosophy in global and national contexts. The discussion is structured around three key themes. First, Dr. Saman Pushpakumara highlights the historical trajectory of the adaptation of Marxist ideas in Sri Lanka, tracing the path from the anti-colonial struggle to the contemporary political life of the state. Second, the significant political influence of Marxism is confirmed by the recent electoral success of a Marxist-oriented party. Thirdly, this influence illustrates the synthesis of universalist narratives of Marxism and their national interpretations. S. Pushpakumara continues the idea of the transformation of the universal, defending the idea of conditional absolutes balancing between universal principles and contextual interpretation. In this logic, he considers the idea of class justice, which exists today not only as a moral category, but also an instrument for promoting group interests, a form of moral entrepreneurship. In his discussion of higher education, S. Pushpakumara attributes the dominant position of Western analytical philosophy in higher education to the colonial past of South Asian countries. He notes that the dominance of analytical philosophy threatens to marginalize alternative philosophical traditions. This universalist paradigm of globalized science is opposed to sovereign science, which defends the autonomy of regional intellectual thought. Russia is cited as an example of effective resistance to Western dominance. The interview concludes with an argument for developing and strengthening dialogue between Russia and the countries of the Global South. Such dialogue is presented as an alternative project of Eurasian philosophy, promoting the decentralization of knowledge production, in which there will be room for a broader discussion of existential, ethical, and cultural issues.