The article examines Heinrich's analysis of Marx's critique of political economy, particularly focusing on the interplay between scientific revolution and classical tradition. While Marx initiates a scientific break from classical political economy, his exposition remains ambivalently tethered to it. Heinrich identifies key theoretical elements of classical political economy – individualism, anthropologism, and empiricism – that shape its discourse. Following Heinrich’s interpretation, it is possible to define the characteristics that give Marx’s critique of political economy its scientific status, specifically: anti-empiricism, anti-anthropologism, and anti-historicism. These characteristics enable Marx’s critique to establish a radically alternative scientific paradigm compared to that of classical political economy and neo-classical economics. The article further explores the conceptualization of social relations as the new theoretical object, which cannot be merely observed empirically but requires a sophisticated abstraction that transcends empirical methodologies. The discussion culminates in an analysis of value as a social relation, contrasting it with classical views that treat value as an inherent quality of commodities. This nuanced perspective underscores the necessity for a theoretical framework that captures the social dimensions of labor and value, thereby advancing our understanding of modern economic structures.
