Karl Marx’s Theory of Revolution, Volume 3: The Dictatorship of the Proletariat

Karl Marx's Theory of Revolution

by Hal Draper

In this third volume of his definitive study of Karl Marx's political thought, Hal Draper examines how Marx, and Marxism, have dealt with the issue of dictatorship in relation to the revolutionary use of force and repression, particularly as this debate has centered on the use of the term "dictatorship of the proletariat." Writing with his usual wit and perception, Draper strips away the layers of misinterpretation and misinformation that have accumulated over the years to show what Marx and Engels themselves really meant by the term.

Genres: Politics, Philosophy, Nonfiction

462 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Hal Draper (born Harold Dubinsky) was an American socialist activist and author who played a significant role in the Berkeley, California Free Speech Movement. He is known for his extensive scholarship on the history and meaning of the thought of Karl Marx.

Draper was a lifelong advocate of what he called "socialism from below", self-emancipation by the working class, in opposition to capitalism and Stalinist bureaucracy, both of which, he held, practiced domination from above. He was one of the creators of the Third Camp tradition, a form ("the form", according to its adherents) of Marxist socialism.

Reviews

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serious and clear exposition, a "close reading" of Marx's writing.

[Roberto Yoed · Rating 2 out of 5]

The same thing that in volume II but now with dictatorships.

Boring, positivistic and plain descriptive.