^8 SOCIAL SCIENTIST political economy that led him to communist views,. He maintained that any unbiased man, free from the influence of private interests and not blinded by class prejudices, must necessarily come to the same conclusions . . . Yet while studying the economic and political development of human society without any preconceived opinion, Marx wrote with no other intention than to propagate the results of his research and with a determined will to provide a scientific basis for the socialist movement, which had so for been lost in the cloud. of utopianism.8 9 A real Marxist intellectual is no Utopian dreamer. One is unable to grasp the mystique of logic by which Beteille draws his conclusion. It seems that he is confusing 'all conflict' with class conflict or class contra-dictions, with which Marx was primarily concerned. As a matter of fact^ this view was in vogue even among Marxists for some time, but not for long. No Marxist today holds that all contradictions vanish with the removal of clashes. "Contradictions do exist even in a socialist society-*-but they are not class contradictions"40. [The author has greatly benefited from discussions with S Chopra,AK Fotedar S N Fotedar, V K Srivastava, S J^fathy H Singh and a number of other scholars^ Acknowledgment is made of their generous criticisms and suggestions while writing this note.] ANIL MAHAJAN 1 Andre Beteille, "Marxism and Modern. Sociology^, Six Essays in Comparotms- Sociology Oxford University Press, Delhi 1974. Beteille, professor of sociology at Delhi University, claims that this essay is based on lectures given from time to time to students of the university. a Ibid., pp 94. » Ibid., pp 100. 4 JW.,ppl01. » Ibid., pp 100. • Ibid. 7 JW.,pp 109-110. • Alvin G Gouldner "Anti-Minotaut: The Myth of a Value-free Sociology" m L L Horowitz (Ed.), The New Sociology, Oxford University l^ess, New York 1^64. 0 TSSimey, Social Science and Social Purpose, Constable, Loft€on 1968, pp 66. He is referring to a published study by Gouldner and Sprehe, 'The Study of Man", Tran^ Action May-June 1966, pp 42-4^. • ° An attempt in this direction has recently been made by the author. See Anil Mahaj^n^ "Towards a Formal Model of Research Techniques in Social Anthropology ^in Research Proceedings 1974 (in press). Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi 1971. 11 Wilehelm Leibknecht, ^Reminiscences ofNarx" (1895), Marx and Engels through 4h4 Eyes of Their Contemporaries, Progress Publishers, Mosctyw 197Z, pp 58. ? 12 For a list of works by Fei Hsio-tuag ^nd his rple^ in. ^hine^e sof^l sciences of tnfr communist period, see his biographical sketch ia Who is Who in China, Union. Research Institute, Hong Kong 1969. 1 * Beteille, 'op. cit., pp 94. a 4 Foy a noteworthy review society by official sociology, see S Qh^a, "JSocial aiKT Anthrop@Ioglcal Resaaa?cfe'f». $9cial Scientist 22, May 19T4, pp67.