| Synopsis: |
The readings collected here - of Karl Marx, Frederick Engels, Rosa Luxemburg, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Antonio Gramsci - reflect the experience of the labour, socialist, and communist movements which did so much to shape modern history. A dedication to working-class revolution gives coherence to the influential philosophical, economic, sociological and historical works of these writers. Key political concepts emerge from the vibrant selections offered in this reader: working-class independence, class-conciousness, trade unionism, a labour party, permanent revolution, the working-class struggle for cultural hegemony, and more. Paul Le Blanc's introductory essay probes the structure and dynamics of Marxism as a political orientation, tracing connections between components that can be found in the readings: the theory of capitalist development, the theory of the labour movement, the strategy of revolution, the concept of the transition of socialism. Others identified with the Marxist tradition - such as Plekhanov, Kautsky, Stalin, Mao - are also discussed, and attention is given to perspectives of such varied critics of Marxism as Sidney Hook, Bertram D.Wolfe, James Burnham, Daniel Bell, Robert Heilbroner, and C. Wright Mills. Historical reflections are blended with discussion of the durability of capitalism, the disappointment of hopes for worker's revolution, the "collapse of Communism", issues of race and gender, the environment, and challenges of the 21st century. |