The Retreat from Class: A New 'True' SocialsimExploring the connections between class, ideology and politics In this classic study, which won the Isaac Deutscher Memorial Prize, Ellen Wood provides a critical survey of influential trends in “post-Marxist” theory. Challenging their dissociation of politics from class, she elaborates her own original conception of the complex relations between class, ideology and politics. In the process, Wood explores the links between socialism and democracy and reinterprets the relationship between liberal and socialist democracy. In a new introduction, Wood discusses the relevance of The Retreat from Class in a post-Soviet world. She traces the connections between post-Marxism and current academic trends such as postmodernism and argues that a re-examination of class politics is a necessary counter to the current cynical acceptance of capitalism. |
Contents
Nicos Poulantzas | |
The Autonomization of Ideology and Politics | |
The Randomization of History and Politics | |
Politics and Class | |
A Historical Case | |
Platonic Marxism | |
Socialism and Democracy | |
Capitalism Liberalism Socialism | |
Socialism and Universal Human Goods | |
Conclusions Index | |
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Common terms and phrases
abolition of class agent argument autonomous bourgeois democracy capital and labour capitalist capitalist relations Chantal Mouffe Chartism class exploitation class interests class politics class struggle classless conception constituted constructed democratic determined discourse economic effect electoral essential Eurocommunism Eurocommunist example existing forms fundamental Gareth Stedman Jones goals hegemony historical human Ibid identity ideological and political ideology intellectual Kitching Kitching’s labour movement labourpower Laclau and Mouffe liberal democracy liberaldemocratic logic Maoist Marx Marx’s Marxist theory material conditions material interests means mode of production noncorrespondence principle objectives oppression organization particular Paul Hirst petty bourgeoisie political forces popular alliance possible Poulantzas Poulantzas’s precisely production relations productive forces proposition radical relations of production represent revolution revolutionary sense simply social conditions social democracy social movements social relations socialist movement socialist politics socialist project socialist strategy society specific sphere Stedman Jones structure struggle for socialism subordination theoretical tradition transformation wageearning workers workingclass interests workingclass struggles