An introduction to the philosophical, economic, historical, feminist, and cultural versions of post-Marxist theory.
Poststructuralist Marxism, or post-Marxism, is a theoretical viewpoint that elaborates and revises the work of Louis Althusser and Michel Foucault. Unlike traditional Marxism, which emphasizes the priority of class struggle and the common humanity of oppressed groups, post-Marxism reveals the sexual, racial, class, and ethnic divisions of modern Western society. This book surveys the different versions of post-Marxist theory: the economic theory of Stephen Resnick and Richard Wolff, the historical methodology of Michel Foucault, the political theory of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, the feminism of Judith Butler, the materialist philosophy of Pierre Macherey, and the cultural studies of Tony Bennett and John Frow. Providing a coherent framework for these otherwise quite divergent theorists, Philip Goldstein outlines the history of Marxist philosophical or theoretical views and explains how they all count as post-Marxist.
“Post-Marxist Theory is a comprehensive attempt to delineate the contours of contemporary leftist thought in philosophy, politics, and culture.” — Minnesota Review
“The authors covered in this book are among the most important current cultural and social thinkers, and their work is central to cultural and social theory. Goldstein provides not only an excellent overall introduction to them but also a critical consideration of their ideas and their implications.” — Michael Ryan, author of Marxism and Deconstruction: A Critical Articulation
“Philip Goldstein is one of the best writers in the Marxist tradition working in the United States today.” — Toby Miller, coauthor of Cultural Policy
Philip Goldstein is Professor of English at the University of Delaware and the author of Communities of Cultural Value: Reception Study, Political Differences, and Literary History and The Politics of Literary Theory: An Introduction to Marxist Criticism.
