From: Rakesh Bhandari (rakeshb@STANFORD.EDU)
Date: Wed Jul 02 2003 - 13:12:15 EDT
A FUTURE FOR MARXISM?
Althusser, the Analytical Turn and the Revival of Socialist Theory
Andrew Levine
£ 15.99 / US$ 24.95 PAPER
2003/01 / 192pp / DEMY (215x135mm)
ISBN: 0745319874
Not long ago, Marxist philosophy flourished. Yet in recent
years theorists have turned away from Marxism. This book aims to
revive Marxist theory, and show how it offers a rich foundation for
radical socialist thinking in the forseeable future. To do this,
Andrew Levine examines two recent departures in Marxist
thought--Althusserian and Analytical Marxism. The former is currently
defunct; the latter, very nearly so. He assesses the shortcomings of
each, while emphasising their considerable, and still timely, merits.
The discussion is framed against an analysis of socialism's place in
the political life of the past two centuries. Levine assesses the
apparent historical defeat of the Left generally since the
consolidation of the Reagan-Thatcher era and speculates on current
signs of renewal. He argues that both Althusserian and analytical
Marxism represent new and deeply important philosophical departures
within the Marxist tradition as they force a rethinking of Marxism's
scientific and political project. For all their differences in style
and substance, these strains of Marxist thought share important
thematic and sociological features and Levine concludes that both
traditions provide a legacy upon which a revived Left can build.
Preface / Introduction to Part One / 1: After the Revolution
/ 2: The Last Left / Conclusion to Part One / Introduction to Part
Two: Historicist Marxism / 3: Althusser and Philosophy / 4: The Break
/ 5: The Analytical Turn / 6: The Legacy / Conclusion: A Future for
Marxism? / Notes / Index
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Jul 04 2003 - 00:00:01 EDT