Mr Erwan Moysan

Research

My research interests include: Political Theory, Political Science, Economic Thought, Economic History, Marx, Marxism, Class Consciousness, Surrealism, Terrorism.

My thesis is a Marxist critique of the Soviet economy. The USSR is often used to discredit Marx's thought. My thesis aims to submit the USSR to a Marxist critique to help differentiate the two. After all, the official ideology of the regime claimed to be based on Marx's thought. But this is not a mere critique of ideology. This thesis aims to uncover the nature of the Soviet mode of production.

There have been many critical Marxist theories on the subject. The most common are: degenerated workers' state, Asiatic mode of production, bureaucratic collectivism, state capitalism, competetive capitalism. This thesis will help weed out misunderstandings on Marx's thought and clarify the core features of the capitalist mode of production and thus also define communist society. My thesis criticises all previous theories, including those close to my conception. I not only confront these theories to Marx's thought, but also to empirical data about the Soviet economy.

However, the goal is not to unearth, collect and present empirical data on the Soviet economy. Rather, my thesis will present a Marxist analysis of the development of the Soviet economy based on a synthesis of empirical studies in order to shine a light on the political debate around the nature of the USSR. Thus, my work is not a vivid description of Soviet society but seeks to theorise the economic and political basis of this society.

Moreover, many Marxist criticisms of the USSR concentrate on political events, especially the Revolution, and not an analysis of the relations of production. Most Marxist theories of the USSR either ignore or distort the role of the world market, ignore class striggle and cannot explain the Soviet economy's long crisis and the collapse of the Soviet Union. My thesis aims to rectify these defects.

Teaching

This year I am teaching seminars in the following modules:

• Introduction to Political Thought (2023-2024 Autumn Semester)
• Introduction to Political Science (2023-2024 Spring Semester)

I have taught the following modules:

• Introduction to Political Thought (2022-2023 Autumn Semester)
• Introduction to Political Science (2022-2023 Spring Semester)

I have completed the ‘Launchpad: Introduction to Teaching and Supporting Learning’ workshop and am currently part of the Cardiff University Education Associate Fellowship Programme.