Introduction To Marx And Engels: A Critical Reconstruction

by Richard Schmitt

Overview

This book steers a middle path between those who argue that the theories of Marx and Engels have been rendered obsolete by historical events and those who reply that these theories emerge untouched from the political changes of the last ten years.Marxism has been a theory of historical change that claimed to be able to predict with considerable acc

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780367319328
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/27/2019
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Richard Schmitt is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Brown University. He now teaches at Assumption, Becker and Worcester State Colleges as an adjunct. Born in Germany, of Jewish parentage, he arrived in the United States in 1946. Best known for his introductory texts to Heidegger and to Marx and Engels, he has written widely about existentialism and political philosophy. Alienation,a topic at the intersection of Existentialism and Political Philosophy,has been a lifelong concern of his.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Second Edition — Introduction — Human Nature — Against Individualism — History — The Dialectic — Historical Materialism — Materialism and Idealism — Ideology — Capitalism — Capitalism and Exploitation — Alienation — The Future of Capitalism and Its Failures — What Are Classes? — Class Struggles — The State — Utopian and Scientific Socialism — Socialism

Editorial Reviews

In a new introduction, the author reconsiders Marxism in the light of historical changes<-->such as the Soviet Union and other communist countries' repudiation of their previous economic and political systems in favor of some form of capitalism<-->and thus outlines what one can reasonably expect to learn from Marx and Engels and how reading their works continues to be important. Subsequent chapters discuss topics such as individualism, the dialectic, historical materialism, capitalism and exploitation, alienation, class struggles, and utopian and scientific socialism. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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