Marxism: A Post-Cold War Primer

Though Marxism has been declared dead many times, it remains vital as a theory of social and political change as we move into the twenty-first century. Concise and accessible, this book will introduce undergraduates in various disciplines and others unfamiliar with Marxism to the basic vocabulary of Marx's thought.Using engaging examples, Markar Melkonian emphasizes Marxism as a materialist approach to understanding society and human history. Drawing on the work of V. I. Lenin, Rosa Luxemburg, Antonio Gramsci, and more recent figures, Melkonian introduces such concepts as social practice, mode of production, class, state power, ideological hegemony, and imperialism. A glossary and end-of-chapter reading lists provide beginning students with additional guidance.For more advanced students looking for a lean but sophisticated overview, this book constitutes a trenchant and engaging reevaluation of Marx's intellectual legacy.



Review


Admirably clear as well as philosophically interesting. Melkonian has produced an elegant primer sprinkled throughout with original insights and formulations that convey how Marxism functions as a social theory. --Anatole Anton, San Francisco State University

Melkonian is the very opposite of the so-called alientated intellectual. --John Brentlinger, UMass Amherst


About the Author


Dr. Markar Melkonian is a philosophy teacher and author. His books include RICHARD RORTY'S POLITICS: LIBERALISM AT THE END OF THE AMERICAN CENTURY (Westview Press, 1999), and THE PHILOSOPHY AND COMMON SENSE READER: WRITINGS ON CRITICAL THINKING (Bloomsbury Academic, 2020).