The Dual Meaning of Philosophy in Crisis
Carlos L. Garrido
Abstract
This article examines the “dual meaning” of philosophy in crisis — both as philosophy confronting a world in crisis and as philosophy itself being in crisis. Carlos L. Garrido traces the etymological and Marxist roots of the concept of crisis as a separation or rupture that reveals the need for reconnection, arguing that philosophy, like capital, faces a disjunction between its essence and its existence. The first dimension — philosophy in crisis — situates philosophical inquiry within the contemporary global transition away from the Western capitalist order, drawing parallels to historical epochs when philosophy emerged during systemic upheavals, from ancient Greece to the Enlightenment. The second — crisis in philosophy — critiques the commodification and academicization of philosophy under capitalism, which has alienated it from its public, critical, and revolutionary essence. Garrido contends that the task of restoring philosophy’s unity lies in reuniting thought and practice through Marxism, which alone possesses the dialectical and humanist framework capable of addressing the epochal crisis of civilization. The paper concludes that the American Communist Party’s project represents a material effort to overcome this crisis, restore the actuality of philosophy, and align it once again with the transformation of the world.
Keywords
Marxist philosophy, crisis, alienation, Western Marxism, dialectical materialism
