Marx and Reparations

Abstract

In this paper, I consider Marxist arguments for, and against, race-based reparations. I contend that Marxists have moral and epistemic reasons to support race-based reparations. Nevertheless, I suggest that they also have reasons to be cautious of race-based reparations. I offer a framework with which to consider these arguments. This framework makes sense of two important features that are relevant for Marxist reparations: interpretive disagreements within Marxist scholarship and different empirical circumstances. I explain why these reasons for, and against, race-based reparations matter for Marxists, and I consider how they might be weighed against each other.