The First Marx: An Philosophical Introduction: A Philosophical Introduction

The First Marx: An Philosophical Introduction: A Philosophical Introduction

by Douglas Burnham (Author), PeterLamb (Author), PeterLamb (Author), Douglas Burnham (Author)

Synopsis

Marx's early work is well known and widely available, but it usually interpreted as at best a kind of stepping-stone to the Marx of Capital. This book offers something completely different; it reconstructs, from his first writings spanning from 1835 to 1846, a coherent and well-rounded political philosophy. The influence of Engels upon the development of that philosophy is discussed. This, it is argued, was a philosophy that Marx could have presented had he put the ideas together, as he hinted was his eventual intention. Had he done so, this first Marx would have made an even greater contribution to social and political philosophy than is generally acknowledged today. Arguments regarding revolutionary change, contradiction and other topics such as production, alienation and emancipation contribute to a powerful analysis in the early works of Marx, one which is worthy of discussion on its own merits. This analysis is distributed among a range of books, papers, letters and other writings, and is gathered here for the first time. Marx's work of the period was driven by his commitment to emancipation. Moreover, as is discussed in the conclusion to this book, his emancipatory philosophy continues to have resonance today. This new book presents Marx in a unique, new light and will be indispensable reading for all studying and following his work.

$185.47

Quantity

20+ in stock

More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 240
Publisher: Continnuum-3PL
Published: 15 Nov 2018

ISBN 10: 1350026867
ISBN 13: 9781350026865
Book Overview: A complete re-reading of Marx's early writings in their entirety, reconstructing from them a coherent political philosophy.

Media Reviews
Much more than a study of the Marx's early writings, The First Marx draws on an unusually wide array of primary source materials. Burnham and Lamb construct a first political philosophy for Marx that reflects the power and sweep of his critical thinking. Thematic chapters provide new insights into alienation, exploitation, emancipation and other concepts that Marx developed philosophically. In this book we are presented with a coherent picture that biographical studies do not achieve. The early Marx did not know that he would become the later Marx, and Burnham and Lamb have done us a service in stopping the clock at a crucial point. * Terrell Carver, Professor of Political Theory, University of Bristol, UK *
The First Marx fills a gap in the literature on Marx by taking Marx's early work, seriously as a complete philosophical system. It is an invaluable resource for understanding key terms in Marxism such as alienation, and would lend itself to discussion of humanism as well as the importance of Marx's early work as foundational to the entire concept of social construction. * Judith Grant, Professor of Political Science, Ohio University, USA *
Author Bio
Douglas Burnham is Professor of Philosophy at Staffordshire University, UK. He is author of The Nietzsche Dictionary (Bloomsbury 2014). Peter Lamb is Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations at Staffordshire University, UK. He is author of Marx and Engels' Communist Manifesto: a Reader's Guide (Bloomsbury, 2015).