by Gill Hands (Author)
Is this the right book for me?
Marx - The Key Ideas will familiarize you with the revolutionary thinking of this significant man. It will take you through all the essential concepts - from class struggle to dialectical materialism.
Expressing Marx's sometimes complex ideas in simple terms, and backed up with references to his own texts, this book gives you everything you need to know.
Marx - The Key Ideas includes:
Chapter 1: Marx's early life
Europe at the time of Marx
The early life of Marx
University life
Life as a journalist
The Communist Manifesto
Exile
Chapter 2: Marx's later life
The move to London
Family life in London
Marx and Engels
Work in London
Das Kapital
The International
The later years
Chapter 3: Marx and philosophy
A brief history of philosophy
Which philosophers influenced Marx?
Ancient Greek philosophers
European philosophy
Utopian Socialists
Revolutionaries and anarchists
The importance of Hegel and Feuerbach
How did Marx differ from those who went before?
Political economy
What part did Engels play?
Chapter 4: Economic theory
Dialectical materialism, historical materialism and economy
The capitalist economy
Commodities
Theory of surplus value
Profit and the division of labour
Capitalism in crisis
Falling wages and profits
Social labour
Accumulation and crisis
Centralization of the economy
Was Marx right about the economy?
Chapter 5: Economy and society
Imperialism and colonialism
Fetishism
Exploitation
Chapter 6: Class, class struggle and revolution
Introduction
The development of capitalist society
Dialectical materialism and class structure
Class in the capitalist society
Ideology
Class struggle
Workers' power and education
The Communist League and class struggle
The International Working Men's Association
Is revolution inevitable?
Chapter 7: Further Marxist thought
After the revolution
Communist society
Religion
Women's rights and the family
Art and culture
Freedom and the individual
Chapter 8: Marxism after Marx - ideas that changed the world
The spread of Marxist thought
The development of socialism
Russian communism
Chinese communism
The Cold War
The decline of communism
Has Marxism failed?
Chapter 9: Marxism after Marx - the development of Marxist thought
Types of Marxism
Where does Marx fit in?
Is Marxism relevant in the twenty-first century?
The future
Learn effortlessly with a new easy-to-read page design and interactive features:
Not got much time?
One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started.
Author insights
Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience.
Test yourself
Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress.
Extend your knowledge
Extra online articles to give you a richer understanding of the subject.
Five things to remember
Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.
Try this
Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 240
Publisher: Teach Yourself
Published: 26 Feb 2010
ISBN 10: 1444103148
ISBN 13: 9781444103144
Book Overview: Marx - the Key Ideas will give you a complete understanding of the life and work of 'the father of communism'.
Gill Hands has always been interested in all aspects of social history. After training as a teacher of English and History, she worked in Adult Training, where she began teaching adults with disabilities as well as those who had missed out on formal education for various reasons. She was also instrumental in setting up three women's groups and a small press to give women in rural areas a voice. It was from working with these varied people that she acquired the skill of breaking complex subjects down into easier steps and clarifying difficult concepts. She has worked as a freelance writer for many years, including writing a beginner's Guides to Marx. Like him, she believes that education is one of the first steps in the liberation of the individual.
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