Journal of International Solidarity Imperial Marxism and the Political Economy of Intellectual Production (w/ Gabriel Rockhill)
Mar 3, 2026
Gabriel Rockhill, philosopher and scholar of French theory and Marxism, critiques how Western Marxism became entwined with imperial interests. He traces academia as an intellectual industry and the Cold War shaping ideas. The conversation explores dialectical materialism, the commodification of theory, strategies for mass-facing political education, and possibilities for global counter-hegemonic alliances.
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How Western Marxism Became Imperial Marxism
- Western Marxism is a distinct imperial-core variant of Marxism shaped by socioeconomic forces of imperialism and the ideological superstructure.
- Gabriel Rockhill argues it became academic, detached from organized politics, and often accommodated colonialism while serving as an anti-communist weapon.
US Empire Weaponized The War Of Ideas
- U.S. imperial institutions treat culture and intellectual production as a primary battleground and invested heavily in shaping Marxist discourse.
- Rockhill documents Cold War mechanisms like the Psychological Strategy Board and CIA collaborations to produce a defanged, palatable Marxism.
Dominant Left Intellectuals Often Align With Empire
- Many prominent Western left intellectuals take positions that align with imperial interests, opposing actually existing socialist or anti-imperialist projects.
- Rockhill cites examples and patterns, arguing this consistency stems from the material system that produces and rewards such intellectuals.
