On Economic Subject In Marx's Economics

The essay discusses the issue of economic subject in Marx's economics. Marx sees individuals as the active party in social economic activities and proposes two types of economic subjects in his theoretical system: "individuals in reality" and "humanization of economic category". The issue of economic subject, one of the basic problems in economics, has constantly aroused debates concerning methodological principles. Those who regard individuals as the real economic subjects are named methodological individualist, whereas those who perceive society and class above individuals as economic subjects and treat individuals as dependent on objective rules are called methodological holists. Many scholars incline to categorize Marx's economics into methodological holism, ignoring his emphasis upon "individuals in reality". However, Marx maintains that individuals in society should be newly recognized as "individuals in reality", which shapes the foundation for social practice and starting point for theoretical analysis. This thesis holds that Marx's position is in accordance with methodological individualism, e.g., to analyze social phenomena from the perspective of individuals. Selfish as well as rational, "individuals in reality" can bring about changes in social relations through behavior choices and can, under the constraints of certain social relations, realize their profits through independent choices. Society is a sum of social relations and an organic whole of interdependent and interrelated "individuals in reality". Marx's economics unifies social integrity organism with methodological individualism. As for the behavior choice of "individuals in reality" and its product --- social organic integrity, Marx made his analysis using "humanization of economic category". He abstracted "individuals in reality" as individuals on the basis of the social relations formed among "individuals in reality", and classified "individuals in reality" into different classes on the basis of the class relations embodied by social relations on the level of society. Marx interpreted class as the agent of class relations and the sum of interrelations among class members. The position of "humanization of economic category" as economic subject in Marx's economics originates from the behavior choice of "individuals in reality". Marx's method of class analysis is built on the analysis of behavior choices of "individuals in reality" and is able to explain social organic integrity resulted from the behavior choices of "individuals in reality". Therefore, Marx's economics is a unification of methodological individualism, integrity organism and method of class analysis. In Marx's vocabulary, relation refers to both social relation and class relation. In his eyes, class relation is the representation of social relation on society level. This thesis attempts to prove, through mathematical models, that there are competitions of interests in the choice of social relations among "individuals in reality", who form social relations for the sake of profit making so that class relations come into being on society level. Social and class relation is the result of class struggle, which establishes the basis for Marx's method of class analysis to analyze behavior choice among "individuals in reality". It is hoped that the thesis will make contribution to the further development of Marxist economics.