Capitalism and Socialism, the Two Faces of Janus

Michel Henry's Phenomenology of the Subject and his Approximations with Robert Kurz's Critique of Value

Abstract

Here we present a comparative analysis between Michel Henry's critiques of capitalist and socialist systems, derived from his phenomenology, and Robert Kurz's considerations about the same systems, based on his Critical Theory of Value. Considering the similarities between these authors, who worked without contact with each other, we seek to answer: 1) Is there Critique of Value in Henry?; 2) Is there phenomenology in Kurz?; 3) Do they complement each other, and to what extent?; 4) Are the similarities accidental?; 5) What do the similarities between their theorizations tell us about today's society? We conclude that there is Critique of Value in Henry's writings; that it would be premature to say that there are phenomenological reflections in Kurz's works; that their theorizations do complement each other; that the similarities probably stem from the historical moment in which they were inserted; and that their works point to a comprehensive critique of the Modern Era.