Democracy against Capitalism Renewing Historical Materialism [Paperback]

A reformulation of Marxism which explains why it still provides the most effective way of looking critically at capitalism.This study argues that understanding Marxism and its critique of capitalism is more important than ever because of the collapse of Communism. It redefines historical materialism's basic concepts and theory of history to specifically identify capitalism as a system of social relations and political power.This study argues that understanding Marxism and its critique of capitalism is more important than ever because of the collapse of Communism. It redefines historical materialism's basic concepts and theory of history to specifically identify capitalism as a system of social relations and political power.Ellen Meiksins Wood argues that with the collapse of Communism the theoretical project of Marxism and its critique of capitalism is more timely and important than ever. In this book she sets out to renew the critical program of historical materialism by redefining its basic concepts and its theory of history in original and imaginative ways, using them to identify the specificity of capitalism as a system of social relations and political power. She goes on to explore the concept of democracy in both the ancient and modern world, examining the concept's relation to capitalism.Introduction; Part I. Historical Materialism and the Specificity of Capitalism: 1. The separation of the 'economic' and 'political' in capitalism; 2. Rethinking base and superstructure; 3. Class as process and relationship; 4. History or technological determinism?; 5. History or teleology? Marx v. Weber; Part II. Democracy against Capitalism: 6. Labour and democracy, ancient and modern; 7. The demos v. 'we, the people': from ancient to modern conceptions of citizenship; 8. Civil society and the politics of identity; 9. Capitalism and human emancipation: race, gender and democracy; Conclusion. ...a provocative, much needed, and timely intervention. It will invigorate and arlÃ/