Gerry Cohen Canadian Marxist political philosopher Date of Birth: 14.04.1941 Country: Canada

1. Biography of Jerry Cohen
2. Academic Career
3. Analytical Marxism
4. Contributions to Political Philosophy
5. Legacy and Death

Biography of Jerry Cohen

Gerald Allan 'Jerry' Cohen was a Canadian political philosopher and Marxist. He was born on April 14, 1941, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, into a family of communist Jews. Cohen received his education at McGill University and the University of Oxford, where his teachers included Isaiah Berlin and Gilbert Ryle.

Academic Career

Cohen held various positions in academia throughout his career. He served as an assistant professor (1963-1964), lecturer (1964-1979), and then senior lecturer (1979-1984) at the University College London's Department of Philosophy. In 1985, he was appointed as the Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory at All Souls College, Oxford.

During his tenure as an academic, Cohen mentored several future political philosophers, including Alan Carter, known for his work on cultural diversity, Will Kymlicka, John McMurtry, David Leopold, Michael Otsuka, and Jonathan Wolff.

Cohen was a proponent of analytical Marxism and was one of the founders of the September Group. His work "Karl Marx's Theory of History: A Defence" (1978) defends a traditional interpretation of Marx's historical materialism, often referred to as "economic determinism" or "technological determinism."

Analytical Marxism

Analytical Marxism is sometimes referred to as "rational choice Marxism," although not all of its supporters endorse or see the need to endorse a form of rational choice. According to some interpretations, rational choice implies that all economic and political actions and theories should be explained by the actions of individuals capable of choice and rationality.

While some argue that restoring Marxism as a scientific theory is impossible, many Marxists today recognize Cohen's work as a turning point in the interpretation of Marx's philosophy.

Contributions to Political Philosophy

In his work "In Self-Ownership, Freedom, and Equality," Cohen offers a moral argument in favor of socialism, contrasting his views with those of John Rawls and Robert Nozick. He criticizes Locke's principle of self-ownership and the use of this principle in libertarianism. Libertarian leftists emphasize the equal value of personal sovereignty and equality. However, Cohen criticizes this claim, stating that a system that embraces the principle of equality completely contradicts the "negative freedom" of libertarian thought.

In his book "If You're an Egalitarian, How Come You're So Rich?," Cohen explores how egalitarian political principles are reflected in the actions of people who hold them. The role of morality in traditional Marxism remains controversial, and in this book, Cohen argues that while liberal egalitarianism can articulate the correct principles of justice, it arbitrarily and inconsistently limits the scope of applying these principles.

Legacy and Death

Gerald Cohen passed away on August 5, 2009, at the age of 68. His contributions to political philosophy and his critiques of various theories, including Marxism and liberalism, continue to influence scholars in the field.