Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Karl Marx (1818-1883) was trained as a philosopher and steeped in the thought of Hegel and German idealism, but turned away from philosophy in his mid-twenties towards politics, economics and history. It is for his these subjects Marx is best known and in which his work and ideas shaped the very nature of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. However, Marx's engagement with philosophy runs through most of his work, especially in his philosophy of history and in moral and political philosophy.
In this outstanding introduction to Marx's philosophy Brian Leiter and Jaime Anderson begin with an overview of Marx's life and intellectual development, before examining and assessing the following important topics:
- Marx's theory of history: Hegel, dialectics, teleology, materialism
- functionalism and the causal explanation of historical change
- economics, history and the transition from communism to capitalism
- ideology, morality and religion
- human nature, alienation and the good life for human beings
- Marx's legacy and influence, including Western Marxism and the Frankfurt School.
The addition of chapter summaries, annotated further reading and a glossary of technical terms make this an indispensable introduction to Marx's philosophy. It will also be useful to those in related disciplines such as politics, sociology, history and economics.
Synopsis
The writings of Karl Marx (1818-1883) have left an indelible mark not only on the understanding of economics and political thought but the very lives of millions of people, for better or worse, in the twentieth century and beyond. Trained as a philosopher and steeped in the thought of Hegel and German idealism, Marx turned away from philosophy in his mid-twenties towards politics, economics and history. Yet it is arguably Marx the philosopher that endures and to which this outstanding introduction is devoted.
Brian Leiter and Jaime Edwards begin with an overview of Marx's life and intellectual development, including his early years as a journalist in Germany before his exile in London. They then introduce and assess the fundamental elements of Marx's though:
- Marx's theory of history and the ideas and arguments of historical materialism
- Class conflict, the state and the Communist revolution
- Marx's theory of economics, especially the labour theory of value, and his prediction of the collapse of capitalism
- The nature and role of ideology in Marx's thought
- Marx's theory of human nature and the good life, including his arguments concerning alienation
- Marx's legacy and influence, including Western Marxism and the birth of The Frankfurt School.
Including chapter summaries, annotated further reading and a glossary of technical terms, this is an indispensable introduction to Marx's philosophical thought. It will also be extremely useful to those in related disciplines such as politics, sociology, history and political economy.
Synopsis
The writings of Karl Marx (1818-1883) have left an indelible mark not only on the understanding of economics and political thought but the on the lives of millions of people who lived in regimes that claimed (wrongly) his influence. Trained as a philosopher and steeped in the thought of Hegel, Marx turned away from Hegelian philosophy after 1845 towards a philosophy that incorporated economics and history. It is this Marx that endures and to which this outstanding introduction is devoted.
Jaime Edwards and Brian Leiter begin with an overview of Marx's life and intellectual development, including his early years as a journalist in Germany before his exile in London. They then introduce and assess the fundamental elements of Marx's thought:
- Marx's theory of history and historical change (historical materialism)
- class conflict, the state and the Communist revolution
- Marx's theory of economics, especially the labour theory of value, and his prediction of the collapse of capitalism
- the nature and role of ideology in Marx's thought
- Marx's theory of human nature and the good life, including his arguments concerning alienation
- Marx's legacy and influence, including Western Marxism, the Frankfurt School, and "feminist Marxism"
Including annotated further reading suggestions at the end of each chapter and a glossary of technical terms, this is an indispensable introduction to Marx's philosophical thought. It will also be extremely useful to those in related disciplines such as politics, sociology, history and political economy.