Marxism

For the political ideology commonly associated with states governed by communist parties, see Marxism–Leninism.

Karl Marx, after whom Marxism is named
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Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development,[1] better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflict, and social transformation. Marxism originates with the works of 19th-century German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Marxism has developed over time into various branches and schools of thought, and as a result, there is no single, definitive "Marxist theory".[2] Marxism has had a profound effect in shaping the modern world, with various left-wing and far-left political movements taking inspiration from it in varying local contexts.[3][4][5]

In addition to the various schools of thought, which emphasise or modify elements of classical Marxism, several Marxian concepts have been incorporated into an array of social theories. This has led to widely varying conclusions.[6] Alongside Marx's critique of political economy, the defining characteristics of Marxism have often been described using the terms "dialectical materialism" and "historical materialism", though these terms were coined after Marx's death and their tenets have been challenged by some self-described Marxists.[7]

As a school of thought, Marxism has had a profound effect on society and global academia. To date, it has influenced many fields, including anthropology,[8][9] archaeology,[10] art theory, criminology,[11] cultural studies,[12][13] economics,[14] education,[15] ethics, film theory,[16] geography,[17] historiography, literary criticism,[18] media studies,[19][20] philosophy, political science, political economy, psychoanalysis,[21] science studies,[22] sociology,[23] urban planning, and theatre.

  1. ^ Krupavičius 2011, pp. 314–315.
  2. ^ Wolff, Richard; Resnick, Stephen (1987). Economics: Marxian versus Neoclassical. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 130. ISBN 978-0801834806. The German Marxists extended the theory to groups and issues Marx had barely touched. Marxian analyses of the legal system, of the social role of women, of foreign trade, of international rivalries among capitalist nations, and the role of parliamentary democracy in the transition to socialism drew animated debates ... Marxian theory (singular) gave way to Marxian theories (plural).
  3. ^ "Left-wing / Right-wing". Marxists Internet Archive. Archived from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Radical left". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 16 July 2022. Radical left is a term that refers collectively to people who hold left-wing political views that are considered extreme, such as supporting or working to establish communism, Marxism, Maoism, socialism, anarchism, or other forms of anticapitalism. The radical left is sometimes called the far left.
  5. ^ March, Luke (2009). "Contemporary Far Left Parties in Europe: From Marxism to the Mainstream?" (PDF). IPG. 1: 126–143 – via Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
  6. ^ O'Hara, Phillip (2003). Encyclopedia of Political Economy, Volume 2. Routledge. p. 107. ISBN 978-0415241878. Marxist political economists differ over their definitions of capitalism, socialism and communism. These differences are so fundamental, the arguments among differently persuaded Marxist political economists have sometimes been as intense as their oppositions to political economies that celebrate capitalism.
  7. ^ Pradella, Lucia (2021). "Foundation: Karl Marx (1818–83)". In Callinicos, Alex; Kouvelakis, Stathis; Pradella, Lucia (eds.). Routledge Handbook of Marxism and Post-Marxism. Routledge & CRC Press. pp. 25–26. ISBN 9781351370011. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  8. ^ O'Laughlin, Bridget (October 1975). "Marxist Approaches in Anthropology". Annual Review of Anthropology. 4 (1): 341–370. doi:10.1146/annurev.an.04.100175.002013. ISSN 0084-6570. S2CID 2730688.
  9. ^ Roseberry, William (21 October 1997). "Marx and Anthropology". Annual Review of Anthropology. 26 (1): 25–46. doi:10.1146/annurev.anthro.26.1.25.
  10. ^ Trigger, Bruce G. (2007). A History of Archaeological Thought (2nd ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 337. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511813016. ISBN 978-0-521-60049-1.
  11. ^ Tibbetts, Stephen G. (6 April 2011). Criminological Theory: The Essentials. SAGE Publications. ISBN 9781412992343.
  12. ^ Dworkin, Dennis (1997). Cultural Marxism in Post-War Britain: History, the New Left, and the Origins of Cultural Studies. Durham: Duke University Press.
  13. ^ Hartley, John (2003). "Culture from Arnold to Schwarzenegger: Imperial Literacy to Pop Culture (destination democracy?)". A Short History of Cultural Studies. London: SAGE Publications. pp. 31–57.
  14. ^ Sperber, Jonathan (16 May 2013). "Is Marx still relevant?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  15. ^ Malott, Curry; Ford, Derek (2015). Marx, capital, and education: towards a critical pedagogy of becoming. Peter Lang. ISBN 978-1-4539-1602-5. OCLC 913956545.[page needed]
  16. ^ Wayne, Mike, ed. (2005). Understanding Film: Marxist Perspectives. Pluto Press. p. 24.
  17. ^ Mitchell, Don (2020). Mean streets: homelessness, public space, and the limits of capital. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 978-0-8203-5691-4. OCLC 1151767935.[page needed]
  18. ^ Eagleton, Terry (1976). Marxism and Literary Criticism. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  19. ^ Becker, Samuel L. (18 May 2009). "Marxist approaches to media studies: The British experience". Critical Studies in Mass Communication. 1 (1): 66–80. doi:10.1080/15295038409360014.
  20. ^ Alvarado, Manuel; Gutch, Robin; Wollen, Tana (1987). Learning the Media: Introduction to Media Teaching. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 62, 76.
  21. ^ Pavón-Cuéllar, David [in Spanish] (2017). "Marxism, Psychoanalysis, and Critique of Psychology". Marxism and Psychoanalysis: In or Against Psychology?. Concepts for Critical Psychology (1st ed.). New York and London: Routledge. pp. 113–149. ISBN 9781138916586. LCCN 2016032101.
  22. ^ Sheehan, Helena (July 2007). "Marxism and Science Studies: A Sweep through the Decades". International Studies in the Philosophy of Science. 21 (2): 197–210. doi:10.1080/02698590701498126. S2CID 143737257. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  23. ^ Cite error: The named reference Johnson-2000 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).