Marx: A Very Short Introduction

by Peter Singer

Book Overview

In Marx: A Very Short Introdution, Peter Singer identifies the central vision that unifies Marx's thought, enabling us to grasp Marx's views as a whole. He sees him as a philosopher primarily concerned with human freedom, rather than as an economist or a social scientist. In plain English, he explains alienation, historical materialism, the economic theory of Capital, and Marx's ideas of communism, and concludes with an assessment of Marx's legacy...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192854054
• ISBN13: 9780192854056
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 120 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.7" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

A superb introduction to Marx's thought

This is a remarkably clear introduction to the thought of Karl Marx. I was a little dubious when I picked it up (I read 3 or 4 of the Very Short Introduction books each year), since most of my knowledge of Singer is through his work either on Animal Ethics, Utilitarianism, or his critique of George W. Bush. In fact, I became a vegetarian 25 years ago after reading Singer and Gandhi at the same time. Marx, though, is a horse of a different color. I was simply not confident that he would write as well on the founder of Marxism as well as he did on practical ethics. If anything, he turned out to write even more clearly on Marx than anything else I've read. The problem with Marx is that he wrote so much, much of it in advanced draft form, that one can extract several different Marx's from his pages. It isn't that he is inconsistent that his thinking is constantly in flux as he considers one or another aspect of the issues surrounding capitalism. There truly is no final version of Marx's thought, but rather interim versions. The various books and manuscripts almost serve as commentaries on the other books and manuscripts. The trick is to extract the core of what Marx thought without unduly distorting his work as a whole and without reducing him to a caricature. Singer does a great job of highlighting major themes and trends in Marx's thought while not losing the sense of the difficult of determining with finality precisely what Marx wrote. The importance of a book like this cannot be overstressed. Anyone who knows anything at all about Marx knows that he would have been appalled at the Communist revolutions of the twentieth century. As Singer rightly points out, Marx would unquestionably have been a victim of one of the purges. Whatever complicity Marx had with the excesses of Lenin, Stalin, and Mao is tenuous and debatable (though given that all three cited Marx as their inspiration means that Marx's responsibility for what followed can be legitimately discussed, even if he is exonerated). Not everything he wrote about Capitalism (a term he invented) has proven to be true (though a great deal that he wrote remains shockingly relevant). Those who in 1989 delightedly proclaimed that history had refuted Marx got it all wrong. The fact is that all of us today, even political and economic conservatives, have had our consciousness completely altered by Marx. Nearly all history is done today with unexamined assumptions that we took from Marx. No one would undertake a study of any historical topic without a consideration of the socio-economic factors involved. Sociology, philosophy, political science, economics, and virtually every subject one can consider has been deeply informed by Marxist ideas. Those proclaiming Marx the loser in 1989 got it all wrong: he had won way before then. He has shaped the modern mind as fully as Freud, Martin Luther, Newton, or Darwin. We think through Marxist categories, even when we oppose him. This

Publisher Notes:

The Past Masters Series is a concise, lucid , aythoritative introduction to the thought of leading intellectual figures of the past whose ideas still influence the way we think today. ... sees Marx as a philosopher, rather than as an economist or social scientis. ' an admirably balanced portrait of the man and his achievement' says Philip Toynbee, Observer.

An almost ideal introduction to the subject.

Peter Singer's "Marx: A Very Short Introduction" is a superbly lucid and concise introduction to the subject of Marx and Marxism. Assuming the reader has no background in Marx's thought, Singer covers most of the important issues of Marxism and then assesses Marx's achievements and shortcomings in a refreshingly balanced manner. What makes this book such a valuable introduction is Singer's clear understanding of what lies at the heart of Marxism: the issue of human freedom. Too many works on Marxism reduce it to a merely economic philosophy, which has the destruction of capitalism (and subsequent liberation of the world's workers) as its end. This is a gross misrepresentation of Marx's thought. Marx saw the destruction of capitalism and the establishment of a classless society as means toward the true end which he sought: the liberation of humanity from oppression and exploitation and a return to our true nature as creative, self-actualizing beings rather than mere laboring appendages to an economic machine. Marx envisioned a world in which humanity toiled with its individual and universal fulfillment as the goal, rather than a world in which a few grow rich while the many dig ditches or work in Asian sweatshops for Nike. Freedom, true freedom, was the purpose behind Marx's work and also his life.I highly recommend this book as a serious, thorough, and fair introduction to this complex subject. Apart from Terry Eagleton's "Marx," there is no better guide than this.

short and sweet

The "Very Short Introductions" series is great for us busy-bees on the go. It fits neatly in the pocket or purse for waiting rooms, staff meetings, etc. It has been said that Marx is the most influential philosopher in modern times. I feel this argument has merit. Moreover, Peter Singer does an excellent job providing a quick insight into Marx's life and work. From Marx's illegitimate son to a great summery of 'Dialectical Materialism', this introduction leaves you wanting to learn more about this man and his thoughts that have affected so many of us.The working man's philosopher of choice, Marx is an important man to understand if one is going to attempt a viable understanding of the philosophical basis of modern day socio-political struggles. In light of almost constant inundation of 'the market rules all' rhetoric, the idea that there might be another way of living more conducive to common man AND nature is attractive and refreshing. However, Singer does not take every word of Marx as gospel. He neatly squeezes in good critical analysis that inspires the reader to think and to question. I highly recommend this very short book.

Indispensible - Unlike Marxism

Marx is a highly complex character, whether studied historically, politically, sociologically or (as I had to) all at once. This brief but concise guide to the life and works of Marx is one I have found frankly indispensable. Working chronologically through his life, listing events and ideas, it both explains difficult concepts with clarity and provides context, which makes some of Marx's abstract works spring to life. Singer is almost totally non-judgmental about Marx and his ideas and this adds to the crucial nature this book holds amongst my key reference works.