Review: The Thought of Karl Marx
Editorial Review - Kirkus ReviewsMerely an introduction and thus necessarily superficial,"" this book aims at combining biographical summation with bibliographic signposts and selected writings topically arranged. There are eight chapters each covering a few years, listing the works written, giving a cursory account of Marx and Engels' activities at the time, and offering a few pages of commentary, followed by primary and secondary sources. McLellan's dry scholasticism parallels the doctrinaire approach of sectarian leftists who think understanding Marx is a matter of citation -- the ""Marx on jellybeans"" syndrome. At any rate there is no pressing need for this collection, since the reader could as easily sit down with a better biography and a fuller group of selections, if not a whole work. McLellan's commentary does have the advantage of cross references to his previous analysis of the Grundrisse, but his commentary is questionable on numerous points, from its shallow Ricardian gloss on the falling rate of profit to its general failure to illuminate the notions of surplus value and labor. Furthermore, the overall shape of the arguments in Capital is missing, and although the so-called early Marx is McLellan's specialty, he has only the most meager grasp of Marx's theoretical development, especially with respect to German critical philosophy. Though this book is probably more appropriate for the utter tyro than a straight collection of snippets like David Caute's Essential Writings of Karl Marx (1968), the reasonably serious reader will do best with Easton and Guddat plus any number of more intellectually energetic commentaries and biographies.
Review: The Thought of Karl Marx
User Review - Dylan - Goodreadswasn't that into it. uh, my only compliment is that it is brief. Read full review
