The Two Marxisms: Contradictions and Anomalies in the Development of Theory

by Alvin Ward Gouldner

A sociologist presents a critique of Marxist theory with a look at scientific Marxism and its search for lawful determinism and at critical Marxism and its philosophy of practice and art of critique

Genres: Philosophy, Politics

402 pages, Paperback

First published March 11, 1982

Reviews

[mao · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read chapters one and two. The last paragraph of the last section of chapter two shows you why it is not necessary to continue waste your time any further with this book. The author's basic method is a judgment on two different tendencies that emerged from the Frankfurt School (what he calls Critical Marxism) and the Ecole Normale (what he calls Scientific Marxism), although because they are "ideal types" we cannot say that so-and-so belong to this form of Marxism. Yet Gouldner systematically attacks Althusser, et al. while remaining un-critical of Critical Marxism itself.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read the chapter that critiques Marx and Engel's theory of the state, but it was fascinating.