Overview

Reconstructing how Marxism responded to the transformations in society, politics, the economy and culture in the 20th century, Trajectories of Neo-Marxism begins with studies of the key figures in the 1920s – Bloch, Lukacs, Korsch and Gramsci – who began developing revisions of Marxism that responded to World War I, the revolutionary upheavals that emerged or followed the war in Russia and various European countries, and the subsequent rise of fascism. These revolutionary Marxian theorists were followed by the Frankfurt School in the 1930s, who responded to many of the same crises of Western capitalism and civilization that had engaged their neo-Marxian predecessors in the 1920s, but also fully engaged fascism which had taken over in Germany and Europe, driving the Frankfurt School to exile in the United States. These neo-Marxist thinkers are analysed through their biographies, written texts, politics and influence on contemporary critical social theory and politics. Consequently, this volume provides a critically important overview of how this group of 20th and 21st century Marxists differ from classical Marxism while trying to reinterpret that tradition during the contemporary myriad crises. Trajectories of Neo-Marxism will be a vital resource, accessible to both undergraduate and graduate students for a range of courses in sociology, social theory, political science, modern European and American history, philosophy, and studies of Marxism and Marxist social theory.

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9781041148814

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Reviews

“In this book, Douglas Kellner demonstrates a superb understanding of history, biography, and the currents of neo-Marist theory. The book provides an excellent discussion of a broad range of neo-Marxist theorists typically covered in courses (Frankfurt School – Horkheimer, Adorno, Marcuse, Habermas, as well as Gramsci). But, the book also enables one to stretch such a course to include others – Bloch and Lukacs and Althusser, and lesser-known theorists – Korsch and Pollock. There are not a lot of books like this that provide the coverage, scope, and context of such a roster of thinkers and contributors to this tradition, and in such an accessible and engaging way.” -- Timothy Black, Professor of Sociology, Case Western Reserve University “Douglas Kellner’s new book, Trajectories of Neo-Marxism, offers a comprehensive examination of the development of neo-Marxist thought throughout numerous historical periods. The author is one of the foremost experts regarding this material and is able to offer a deep, textual-based reading of this corpus of work. Furthermore, the volume places theorists in conversation with one another. This is useful in that it highlights distinctions between different theorists, illuminating tensions within critical theory and western Marxism, and identifies what is theoretically useful in different theorist’s work. The book is an important contribution to the subject as it places the development of these modes of thought in relation to one another. In doing so, the author helps highlight key questions and analyses that have emerged and changed over time.” -- Daniel Auerbach, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Wyoming

“In this book, Douglas Kellner demonstrates a superb understanding of history, biography, and the currents of neo-Marxist theory. The book provides an excellent discussion of a broad range of neo-Marxist theorists typically covered in courses (Frankfurt School – Horkheimer, Adorno, Marcuse, Habermas, as well as Gramsci). But, the book also enables one to stretch such a course to include others – Bloch and Lukacs and Althusser, and lesser-known theorists – Korsch and Pollock. There are not a lot of books like this that provide the coverage, scope, and context of such a roster of thinkers and contributors to this tradition, and in such an accessible and engaging way.” Timothy Black, Professor of Sociology, Case Western Reserve University “Douglas Kellner’s new book, Trajectories of Neo-Marxism, offers a comprehensive examination of the development of neo-Marxist thought throughout numerous historical periods. The author is one of the foremost experts regarding this material and is able to offer a deep, textual-based reading of this corpus of work. Furthermore, the volume places theorists in conversation with one another. This is useful in that it highlights distinctions between different theorists, illuminating tensions within critical theory and western Marxism, and identifies what is theoretically useful in different theorist’s work. The book is an important contribution to the subject as it places the development of these modes of thought in relation to one another. In doing so, the author helps highlight key questions and analyses that have emerged and changed over time."" Daniel Auerbach, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Wyoming

Author Information

Douglas Kellner is Distinguished Research Professor at UCLA and is author of many books on social theory, politics, history, and culture, including Media Culture: Cultural Studies, Identity, and Politics in the Contemporary Moment (2e, 2020), American Nightmare: Donald Trump, Media Spectacle, and Authoritarian Populism (2016), and American Horror Show: Election 2016 and the Ascent of Donald J. Trump (2017), as well as Editor of the multi-volume Collected Papers of Herbert Marcuse (2017) and Herbert Marcuse and the Crisis of Marxism (1984). He has just published Adventures in Marxist Theory: Toward a Reconstruction of Marxism with Routledge, to which Trajectories of Neo-Marxism is a follow-up.

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