The Thought of Karl Marx: An Introduction

It would be a far easier task to understand Karl Marx's thought and theories were there not so many millions of Marxists in the world, people whose own take on Marx and his ideas are colored by the politics of those supposedly Marxist states such as the former Soviet Union or The Republic of China. The problem with this is that there are as many interpretations and variations on what supposedly constitutes Marxist thought as there are believers. Thus, one must take great care to stick to the original tests and concentrate on what Marx himself had to say (and he indeed had a quite prolific pen with which he quite liberally expressed himself over a fifty or sixty year period of active deliberation. Thankfully, it is this treasure trove of original text that David McLellan employs so impressively in this wonderful introductory text relating to the broad sweep of Marx's thought. The author uses first hand quotes in context to pencil out both the broad outlines of Marx's impressively complex and comprehensive system of thought, on the one hand, and many important insights into the details that are so important in making this system of thought coherent. Using materials he has used in other texts quite successfully, the author shows how the various social, political and economic texts Marx wrote all tie together in a stunning system of critical; thought, and how they spell out the essentials of Marxism. Thus, whether outlining how the antagonisms between opposing social classes provides the motive force of history, showing how surplus value is expropriated from the workers through exploitations and turned into profit for the business owner, or showing how alienation originated in the selling of one's time and energies in enterprises in which one is essentially a forced laborer, McLellan breathes life into Marxian thought. This is an excellent introductory text, and one I recommend for the beginning student of Marxist thought. Enjoy!