Ο μαρξισμός μετά τον Μαρξ

by David McLellan, Τρισεύγενη Παπαϊωάννου (Translator), Ρούσσος Βρανάς (Translator)

Για ενάμιση αιώνα τώρα ο μαρξισμός βρίσκεται στο επίκεντρο του θεωρητικού προβληματισμού που αναπτύσσεται σε κάθε πτυχή των κοινωνικών επιστημών και όχι μόνο. Η επικαιρότητα διαρκείας ενός από τους σημαντικότερους -ισμούς δεν αποδίδεται μόνο στην αναλυτική δύναμη της θεωρητικής αυτής παράδοσης αλλά και στον εξαιρετικό πλουραλισμό και τη δημιουργικότητα μεγάλου αριθμού στοχαστών, διανοουμένων και επιμέρους σχολών και παραδόσεων, που εμπνεύστηκαν ή επηρεάστηκαν αλλά και επηρέασαν το σημαντικό αυτό ρεύμα σκέψης. Με αυτή την έννοια, ο "μαρξισμός" αποτελεί ένα ιδιαίτερα πλούσιο και πολύχρωμο ψηφιδωτό ιδεών και θεωρήσεων, που υποχρεώνει σε διάλογο ακόμη κι αν κανείς βρίσκεται απέναντι στα πολιτικά του προτάγματα.

Ο David McLellan, ίσως ένας από τους πλέον ψύχραιμους και αδέκαστους γνώστες αυτής της παράδοσης, μας προσφέρει ένα έργο που με πληρότητα παρουσιάζει το διάλογο, τις αντιπαραθέσεις και εντέλει τη συμβολή των επιγόνων των Μαρξ και Ένγκελς. Με αναφορά στο πολιτικό, κοινωνικό και οικονομικό περιβάλλον, ο τόμος παρουσιάζει την παράδοση της "γερμανικής σοσιαλδημοκρατίας" (Κάουτσκι, Λούξεμπουργκ, αυστρομαρξιστές κ.ά.), το "ρωσικό μαρξισμό" (Λένιν, Τρότσκι, Στάλιν, Πλεχάνοφ κ.ά.), τον "ευρωπαϊκό μαρξισμό του μεσοπολέμου" (Λούκατς, Γκράμσι κ.ά.), το μαρξισμό στην Κίνα και τον "Τρίτο Κόσμο" (Μάο, Τσε, θεολογία της χειραφέτησης κ.ά.) και τέλος το σύγχρονο μαρξισμό στην Ευρώπη και τις ΗΠΑ (Σχολή της Φρανκφούρτης, Σαρτρ, Αλτουσέρ, μετανεωτερικό μαρξισμό κ.ά.).

Ο τόμος περιλαμβάνει εκτενή βιβλιογραφία και ένα χρονολόγιο των γεγονότων που σημάδεψαν την εξέλιξη της μαρξιστικής σκέψης, καθώς και των σημαντικών έργων που συνόδευσαν αυτήν την πορεία.

Genres: Politics, History, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Sociology

512 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

David McLellan (born 10 February 1940) is an English scholar of Karl Marx and Marxism. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School and St. John's College, Oxford University.

McLellan is currently visiting Professor of Political Theory at Goldsmiths' College, University of London. He was previously Professor of Political Theory at the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent.

McLellan has also been Visiting Professor at the State University of New York, Guest Fellow in Politics at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Simla, and has lectured widely in North America and Europe.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a decent, comprehensive guide to various post-Marxist thinkers. Its breadth is truly formidable which does make the content a little shallow, and there is also some assumed historical knowledge. I will definitely be returning to this as a reference book. At the end of each text, McLellan gives a brief summary of the most seminal works from each thinker as well as the best biographies or analyses to read.

[Fer Prz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karl Marx lived through a period in his history dominated by monarchies and feudalism. His philosophy and ideas brought forth a plethora of political movements that led to a revolutionized world. Economy, politics, and ideologies were never the same.

Marx was adamant about class struggles and a path towards betterment of the working class through a novel idea, communism. He thought about communism as the best way of expressing opposition to the rise of fascism. Putting the surplus of value derived from production in the hands of the workers instead of the ruling class.

The importance of his work cannot be quantified, although I believe that this was a natural path forward as industry was exploding and masses were increasing in size in the 19th century.

This book shows the importance and legacy of Marx as an intellectual. The theoretical discourse and implementation of government using his ideals has led to liberation of feudalism but also towards the implementation of totalitarianism.

There’s a hilarious pattern in this book where Marxists develop political ideologies and political parties only to get stripped from their leadership positions, expelled and arrested.

As much as it is theorized that capitalism is an altered form of feudalism and its only outcome is demise, it seems to outlive many forms of communism. The rise of automation and white collar workers would prove to be difficult for communism in as much as the trend towards Leninism.

The Frankfurt school of thought called something out about capitalism in America. American surplus could only be absorbed by military expenditure with its current form of imperialism. Case in point about today’s news, the capture of Maduro.

Very glad I read this book even though it is beyond my reading comprehension.

PD. It is worth noting that I picked up this book from my local library after reading the book Why They Collaborated by Eugene Kinkead. This book seemed like a demonization of communism and its treatment of POW in the Korean War. I felt I needed a good understanding of what is actually communism vs how it is implemented and portrayed across the world.

[C]

David McClellan's survey of various Marxist thinkers and strains of Marxist thought from the death of Marx to after the fall of the Soviet Union does an impressive job of covering an enormous amount of ground in about 400 pages. I found this book tremendously helpful in correcting numerous blind spots in my basic knowledge of various noteworthy Marxist thinkers. McClellan assumes a familiarity with Marx's thought on the part of the reader, but while it's not exactly a breezy read, I think it steers clear of needlessly abstruse prose, while avoiding a style accessible and free of technical language as to strip the explorations of his subjects' ideas of their richness. The extensive bibliographies at the end of each chapter also serve as a great resource, for anyone who, like me plans to read texts by a number of the figures discussed in this book in the future. All in all a fascinating book that left me excited to works by dozens of the thinkers discussed by the author.

If I had one critique, however, it would be that there is very little space devoted to Marxism outside of Europe, China, and the United States. It would have been nice to get a bit more analysis of Marxism in Latin America, as well as more than just a very cursory overview of Asia outside of China. And Marxism in Africa gets even less coverage.

[Samani · Rating 4 out of 5]

موسوعة ضخمة في محاولة من الكاتب للتاريخ لمراكسية بعد ماركس . تنفع كمدخل للتعرف لاراء بعض المفكرين الماركسين المهمين كغرامشي و غيرهم

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poorly written in places, shallow overall, and sometimes seems to think that you already know some of the history it covers, but it's kind of indispensable for its breadth. Also great bibliographies at the end of each chapter.

[Justin Siemaszko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was discarded by my local library when I was 17; I picked it up out of the "free" pile, about 25 years ago. It provided my questioning young mind a map to a lot of history and philosophy I otherwise would not have found without an educated mentor. As a survey of thought, I felt encouraged to challenge the presented ideas. It led me to a lot more nonfiction and helped steer my life toward learning in a way that school did not. Five stars for the affect this book had on my future education and adult life. I assume this is why my rural library discarded the book.

[Reed Landry · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty useful reference book for writers i’ll probably never actually read, and for getting a sense of the ‘field’ as of like 1980. the later chapters could definitely benefit from a second edition taking into account the last 40 years but that’s ok. In fact it seems like there is indeed a newer edition, but the one i read was used and pretty old. maybe i’ll look into getting the newer one.

[Kylewong · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. The revisionist controversy in Germany: Kautsky vs Bernstein

2. Russian Marxism: Lenin --> Stalin vs Trotsky

3. European Marxism between wars: Lukacs, Korsch, Gramsci

4. China + the third world: Mao

5. Contemporary Marxism
Frankfurt School
Kojeve brings to France (Existentialist Marxism)
Structuralist Marxism
Marxism in the US (Jameson)
Postmodern Marxism

6. Conclusion
Intellectual evolution
economics: fall of capitalism
politics: class consciousness & vanguard party --> lack of interest in politics
philosophy: revival of Hegel

Dead
Marxism as a total interpretation of the world
Marxism / Leninism has little future in developed countries
Planned economy is ineffective

Alive
Materialist conception of history
CRITIQUE OF IDEOLOGY

[يوسف عبداللطيف · Rating 4 out of 5]

David McLellan spends the whole of Marxism After Marx: An Introduction arguing that most of what we call common sense is just habit in a nice outfit, and I mostly bought it. A couple of examples feel cherry-picked, but the core point stuck with me for days. Good for anyone who likes having their assumptions poked, bad for people who want the other side given equal time.

[Luke Echo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good summary of 20th Century Marxism.