Was
Marx himself a “Marxist”? Was his
visionary promise of socialism betrayed by
Marxist dictatorship? Is Marxism inevitably
totalitarian? What did Marx really say?
Introducing
Marxism provides a fundamental account of
Karl Marx’s original philosophy, its
roots in 19th-century European ideology, and
his radical economic and social criticism
of capitalism that inspired vast 20th-century
revolutions. It assesses Marxism’s Russian
disciples – Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin
– who forged a ruthless dogmatic Communism.
Introducing
Marxism examines the alternative Marxist approaches
of Gramsci, the Frankfurt School of critical
theory and the structuralist Marxism of Althusser
in the 1960s. It marshals postmodern interpretations
of Marxism and raises the spectre of “post-Marxism”
in Derrida’s confrontation with Fukuyama’s
“end of history” doctrine.
Marxism
is not simply a phantom of the 19th-century
Cold War that once inspired terror. It remains
a potent ethical force in our postmodern age
of uncertainty.
***
Rupert
Woodfin was a lecturer in Philosophy. He died
in 2005.
Oscar
Zarate is a highly acclaimed graphic artist
who has illustrated many Introducing titles.
His prize-winning graphic novel A Small Killing
is known throughout the world.
