In defence of critical realism

This article reassesses critical realism's role as an underlabourer to the sciences and whether it is of any use to a Marxist analysis. It deals with some of the issues raised in the debate between regulation theorists and open Marxists whilst arguing that this debate does not do full credit to the scope of critical realism. Whilst a rejection of the regulation approach is necessary, it is also necessary to analyse forms of regulation and hegemonic strategies based on the fact that the social world is complexly stratified. However, this stratification also points to the dominant contradictions within capitalism and the centrality of struggle in shaping the social world.