"Communist Manifesto" Discussed at Seminar
BY EMİRHAN KAYA (IR/III)
Metin Çulhaoğlu, a writer and politician who is known for his books on socialism, and Prof. Erinç Yeldan of the Department of Economics gave a seminar last week titled "On the 164th Anniversary of the Communist Manifesto." During the conference, which was organized by the Sosyalist Düşünce Topluluğu, the longevity of "The Communist Manifesto" and its predictions for the future were discussed.
In his talk, Mr. Çulhaoğlu attributed the effectiveness of the Manifesto to the rich intellectual background behind it. Yet despite this, he said, the Manifesto was an understandable book that combined current and practical knowledge. He also stated that the Manifesto was written in an environment that gave the impression that the flow of history had been accelerated as a result of the unfulfilled bourgeois revolutions of the 19th century. Finally, he contended that improved production speed has not been offset by sustainability in the social sphere as a consequence of the association of capitalism with obsolete ideologies.
Prof. Yeldan focused more on the internal contradictions of capitalism and its struggle to find new markets to create demand for excessive production. He said that the year 2008 was a turning point, and then looked at the question of whether capitalism will experience a third wave of growth after 2015 by means of "creative destruction." He also described the Manifesto as a book that laid out methods for the evolution of society and attributed its value to its non-sacred character.
After their talks, the speakers took questions from the audience, which focused primarily on the predictions of the Manifesto for the future and its relevance to Turkish and world politics.