Overview

First published in French, this book by Tony Andréani, a prolific French Marxist scholar, summarises decades of research on Karl Marx’s theory of historical materialism. Written to further debate among scholars and beyond, Andréani develops the fundamental concepts of the Marxist theory of history as they apply to any society, particularly the so-called economic concepts, in their opposition to neo-classical theory and to reductive readings common among Marxist authors. He later discusses the theory of modes of production to then sketch an analysis of the course of history, which is the subject of much debate among Marxist historians. In the latter parts of this book, the reader will learn more about the origin of inequalities, historical dialectics, and the perspectives of socialism. The publication of Matérialisme Historique: Les concepts fondamentaux revisités (Paris: l’Harmattan, 2022) in an English translation with updates will be welcomed by scholars familiar with the French edition and eager to have Tony Andréani’s original vision on the basic concepts of historical materialism made available to Anglophone audiences.

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9781032893532

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Reviews

Tony Andréani’s work in the field of Marxism is recognised in France for two reasons: his grounding in Marx’s concepts for understanding history on a materialist basis and his ability to enrich it with contemporary contributions, particularly in anthropology. To which he adds great critical lucidity regarding what has been done and is currently being done in the name of Marxism. Yvon Quiniou, Senior Fellow and Doctor of Philosophy The immense body of work accomplished by Tony Andréani over the decades reaches its remarkable culmination in this book. It shines a light on the richness of Marx and Engels’ central concepts in developing a theory of the historical process. Yes, history can be better understood in a way that favourably guides social development; no, it is not “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”; no, it is not collective irrationality when humans refuse to bow to market mechanisms. This is what the book brilliantly demonstrates. Jérôme Maucourant, Economist and Analyst of Euro-Asian Systems, Senior Lecturer, University of Saint-Etienne

Tony Andréani’s work in the field of Marxism is recognised in France for two reasons: his grounding in Marx’s concepts for understanding history on a materialist basis and his ability to enrich it with contemporary contributions, particularly in anthropology. To which he adds great critical lucidity regarding what has been done and is currently being done in the name of Marxism. Yvon Quiniou, Senior Fellow and Doctor of Philosophy The immense body of work accomplished by Tony Andréani over the decades reaches its remarkable culmination in this book. It shines a light on the richness of Marx and Engels’ central concepts in developing a theory of the historical process. Yes, history can be better understood in a way that favourably guides social development; no, it is not “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”; no, it is not collective irrationality when humans refuse to bow to market mechanisms. This is what the book brilliantly demonstrates. Jérôme Maucourant, Economist and Analyst of Euro-Asian Systems, Senior Lecturer, University of Saint-Etienne This book is the ideal tool for anyone interested in marxism, as it sets out in an extremely clear, faithful and rigorous manner the key concepts developed by Marx, including the most complex, made accessible, but above all opens up perspectives for renewed reflection and valuable research by revisiting them in order to show their fruitful usefulness for the analysis and transformation of the current world. Rémy Herrera, Researcher at CNRS (National Center of Scientific Research), Centre D'Economie de la Sorbonne

Author Information

Tony Andréani, PhD in philosophy, is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Paris VIII. His major works include De la société à l’histoire (two volumes, Paris: Editions Meridiens-Klincksieck, 1989), Discours sur l’égalité parmi les hommes (Paris: Editions L’Harmattan, 1993), Un être de raison, critique de l’homo Oeconomicus (Paris: Editions Syllepse, 2000), Socialisme est (a)venir, (two volumes, Paris: Editions Syllepse, 2001 and 2004), and Ten Essays for a 21st Century Socialism (London: Routledge, 2025).

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