An Introduction To Karl Marx _ Jon Elster 1986

AN INTRODUCTION TO KARL MARX

JON ELSTER

1986

Pages : 206

Preface vii

1. Overview 1

Introduction 1

MarK: Life and Writings 5

MarK and Engels 11

MarKism after Marx 12

Editions of Marx's Writings 17

Bibliography 19

2. Marxist Methodology 21

Introduction 21

Methodological Individualism 22

Marxism and Rational Choice 25

Functional Explanation in Marxism 31

Dialectics 34

Bibliography 39

3. Alienation 41

Introduction 41

Alienation: Lack of Self-realization 43

Alienation: Lack of Autonomy 49

Alienation: The Rule of Capital over Labor 54

Fetishism 56

Bibliography 58

4. Marxian Economics 60

Introduction 60

The Labor Theory of Value 63

Reproduction. Accumulation. and Technical Change 70

Crisis Theory 74

Bibliography 78

Contents

5. Exploitation 79

Introduction 79

Exploitation, Freedom, and Force 81

Exploitation in History 84

Exploitation and Justice 92

Bibliography 101

6. Historical Materialism 103

Introduction 103

The Development of the Productive Forces 105

Base and Superstructure 112

The Stages of Historical Development 117

Bibliography 121

7. Class Consciousness and Class Struggle 122

Introduction 122

The Concept of Class 123

Class Consciousness 129

Class Struggle 134

Bibliography 139

8. Marx's Theory of Politics 141

Introduction 141

The Capitalist State 143

Politics in the Transition to Capitalism 153

Politics in the Transition to Communism 159

Bibliography 166

9. The Marxist Critique of Ideology 168

Introduction 168

Political Ideologies 173

Economic Thought as Ideology 176

Religion as Ideology 180

Bibliography 184

10. What Is Living and What Is Dead in the

Philosophy of Marx? 186

Introduction 186

What Is Dead? 188

What Is Living? 194