From Marx to Illich: economy, ecology, and technology in André Gorz’s oeuvre of the 1970s

Abstract

This article analyzes the gorzian oeuvre of the 1970s, which represents a transition stage in Gorz’s thought. Up to this period, Gorz advocated an orthodox Marxism, defending the necessity of state socialism and understanding both labor and industrial technology positively. However, the discovery of Illich contributed to a profound change in his thought. The “greening” of Gorz manifests itself in: i) criticism of “industrial civilization” and of the prevailing technology in capitalism; ii) criticism of the harmful effects of economic growth on the environment. The wittings of this period are the key to understand Gorz’s late post-Marxism.