Alien Politics: Marxist State Theory Retrieved

Description

Alien Politics retrieves from the writings of Marx an original theory of the state which remains viable and relevant today. Paul Thomas traces the process by which Marx's theory of the state as the instrument of the capitalist ruling class became transformed into communist dogma under the auspices of Lenin and other "official" Marxist stalwarts. He argues that Marx's writings still have something to teach us and should not be pulled down with the monoliths and mausoleums of communism. "Free of jargon and verbosity, gentle and generous in guiding the reader through its arguments, and completely sustained in its clarity, Alien Politics is a compelling read." -- Paul Breines, Boston College "...this book opens up some important questions in social and political theory, drawing some new connections between what are often seen as disparate parts of Marx's work." -- Journal of Political and Military Sociology Paul Thomas is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of Karl Marx and the Anarchists, published by Routledge. Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication Contents Preface Acknowledgments Introduction: What Price the State? 1. "The State as a Finished Thing” 2. Marx and Hegel; Memories of Underdevelopment 3. “The Sabre, the Cowl, the Musket”: Marx’s Brumaire 4. The State as Topos: Lenin and Gramsci 5. Subject-state, Object-state: From Gramsci to Poulantzas 6. The State of the State: Kautsky, Eurocommunism and Beyond Conclusion Conclusion Notes Preface Introduction: What Price the State? 1. "The State as a Finished Thing” 2. Marx and Hegel; Memories of Underdevelopment 3. “The Sabre, the Cowl, the Musket”: Marx’s Brumaire 4. The State as Topos: Lenin and Gramsci 5. Subject-state, Object-state: From Gramsci to Poulantzas 6. The State of the State: Kautsky, Eurocommunism and Beyond Conclusion Conclusion Appendix: Secondary Literature on Marxist State Theory Index