Classical Marxism in an Age of Capitalist Crisis: The Past Is Prologue

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Will capitalism survive forever? Capitalism has always lived in and with crisis. Wars, revolutions, economic depression and repeated recessions, the threat of nuclear annihilation and ecological disaster have all failed to break the dominance of this economic and political system. Challenging the predominance of capitalism in a world fraught with inequalities, this book returns to classical Marxism to reaffirm its relevance. It explores the contradictions within capitalism as well as explaining why Marxism has been unable to mount a sustained challenge to capitalism. In order to explore concrete alternatives in a period of increasing capitalist globalisation and crisis, it goes on to present perspectives by which theory and practice might be reunited to building independent political and organisational structures. A search for “something better”, this volume will be an engaging read for scholars and researchers of politics, especially political theory and political economy, economics, and sociology. About the Author William Briggs is an academic affiliated to the School of Humanities, Social Sciences, Arts and Education at Deakin University, Australia. Tags: Communism; Post-Communism & Socialism, Political Science, Political Ideologies, Propaganda, History & Theory Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Acknowledgements Introduction An invitation Classical Marxism: ground zero A house divided Aims and objectives Isolating problems Sticking with Marx It all comes down to relevance Structure 1. Capitalist crisis and the relevance of Marxism The state and its relationship with capitalism Capitalism and crisis Responding to capitalist globalisation The crisis in Marxism A coyness in contemporary Marxism 2. Learning from Marxism’s historical crisis An optimistic view of the world The seeds of crisis: reform or revolution A deepening crisis: the period between the wars The ‘golden age’ of capitalism and beyond Can there be resolution? 3. Validating Marxist analysis Elements of Marxist analysis Historical materialism and the scientific approach A materialist reading of the ‘weakness’ of Marxism A materialist reading of capitalist crisis 4. The development of the capitalist state Constructing the capitalist paradigm Existential threats to capitalism and a troubled 20th century Cycles of crisis Capitalism – resilient or simply unchallenged? The use of ideology to maintain social stability The inability to resolve inherent contradictions 5. A qualitative change in capitalism and its implications The motivations behind capitalist globalisation Measuring qualitative change in capitalism Changes in capitalism: implications for the nation-state Changes in capitalism: implications for the working class What is to be done? 6. Responding to capitalist globalisation Identifying the real enemy The working class and opposition to capitalism Identity politics and anti-capitalist mobilisation Social movement politics and anti-capitalist mobilisation Strengths, weaknesses and the tendency toward dissipation Capital remains unchallenged 7. The promise of Marxism Marxism and 21st-century capitalism An effective theory for the 21st century Resolving the crisis in Marxism New organisational structures and overcoming the crisis of leadership Reinterpreting class and social identity Marxism’s purpose and future 8. Conclusion A backward glance Implications and limitations A forward glance And in the end … Bibliography Index