Ontological and Political Significance of the Concept of Need in Political Philosophy
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The concept of need has a peculiar status. Neglect of discussions over the significance of needs is conspicuous insofar as the number of people who cannot satisfy their basic needs go hand in hand with the enormous pace of modification and diversification of commodities in capitalism. Despite the frequent occurrence of the term in daily politics, the political and the ontological status of needs have not been widely investigated in political philosophy. This paper starts by problematising the conspicuous absence of the concept of need in contemporary political philosophy; it then reflects on the ontological and political implications of needs. Finally, it briefly explores the possibilities that Marx’s treatment of the concept of need might provide that would otherwise have been left unexplored. I argue that his treatment of needs might provide us with the conceptual tools to further elaborate on what it means today to raise the question of needs as a political question rather than as an administrative one.