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Why Marx Was Right
In this combative, controversial book, Terry Eagleton takes issue with the prejudice that Marxism is dead and done with. Taking ten of the most common objections to Marxism;that it leads to political tyranny, that it reduces everything to the economic, that it is a form of historical determinism, and so on he demonstrates in each case what a woeful travesty of Marx's own t...more
ebook, 272 pages
Published
April 12th 2011
by Yale University Press
(first published 2011)
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Jan 11, 2013
Randal Samstag
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
philosophy,
economics
Ever need a handy compendium to use when you were in discussions with tiresome right-wingers about how Marx and Marxism was a “Fatal Conceit” or “The Road to Serfdom”? (The quoted references are, of course, to anti-socialist tracts by F. A. Hayek.) Well, if you live in the United States, there would be plenty of individuals who would so debate you. But then again, probably not so many of you would want to. But, for those who would, Terry Eagleton has provided such a compendium. His new book, Why...more
Bracing and clarifying, Terry Eagleton's 2011 book confronts head-on the many prevailing myths about Marxism -- the anti-ideology ideology to which even died-in-the-wool liberals like me used to subscribe. But no more! Part of the reason for the prevalence of these myths is that reading Marx can be a slog, but having Terry Eagleton explain him fills one with the sort of barricades-manning exuberance normally available only when viewing "Les Miz." After reading this book, you will no longer be co...more
The title grabbed me, and it was well-worth the read. Great writing, and surprisingly, not at all dogmatic or shrill. You didn't get an impassioned, furious defense of Marxism against our capitalist overlords. Instead, Eagleton simply talks you through how Marx himself is grossly misunderstood and misconstrued in most popular criticisms. And he doesn't place Marx above reproach; Eagleton is perfectly willing to disagree with him.
Interesting, readable, and balanced, at least for a book of this ti...more
Interesting, readable, and balanced, at least for a book of this ti...more
4 likes · like · see review
I already love Terry Eagleton, though I didn't quite appreciate this book as much as I appreciated Reason, Faith, and Revolution.
Why Marx Was Right was remarkably concise for Eagleton. He seems to be criticized often for making grand statements, and following them, not with any kind of explanation, but with a joke. It's true. He does that. But I've always argued that he also tends to have a circular kind of logic, eventually and always swinging back to that explanation, though it might be severa...more
Why Marx Was Right was remarkably concise for Eagleton. He seems to be criticized often for making grand statements, and following them, not with any kind of explanation, but with a joke. It's true. He does that. But I've always argued that he also tends to have a circular kind of logic, eventually and always swinging back to that explanation, though it might be severa...more
"...The book isn't about Marxism; it's about the ideas of Karl Marx. Eagleton comes across like a Christian trying to talk about Jesus without bringing in Organized Religion, which is what you'd expect from someone who calls himself a Marxist while acknowledging the importance of his Irish Catholic upbringing.
Eagleton sets out to justify Marx's ways to Americans and others in the reasonable, chatty, chastely hip tones of the British clerical class, with dry witticisms strewn here and there, thou...more
Didn't the twentieth century show Marxism to be a deeply flawed dream? Eagleton doesn't think so and expends a good deal of rhetoric and wit to demonstrate that many popular perceptions of Marxism are just plain wrong. Along the way he makes many claims that will surprise the casual student of political theory such as that Marx was a champion of individual rights, hated overbearing states and loved his Aristotle. Ultimately though the format of the book betrays Eagleton. Since each chapter attem...more
Eagleton deploys his considerable rhetorical skills to defend Marx's philosophy. He does an admirable job of giving a kind of dummies guide to the philosophy of Karl Marx, breaking down many of the myths of his detractors. Eagleton is also quite good at situating Marxism and socialism in a contemporary context. His central argument here is: Those who want to defend capitalist democracy against communism can't have it both ways since the history of capitalism is a horrific, bloody mess consisting...more
This is an Apologia for the unwitting founder of the latest but possibly not the last of the great ‘herd’ religions.
The book itself is not a complete failure. If you are studying Marxism, it would be a good text that summarises the best case for it much as one might go to Tertullian or Augustine to get the best case for Early Christianity.
Similarly, no babies should be thrown out with the bathwater of Communist history. Marx can be seen as analyst and as historical fantasist. As analyst, he off...more
The book itself is not a complete failure. If you are studying Marxism, it would be a good text that summarises the best case for it much as one might go to Tertullian or Augustine to get the best case for Early Christianity.
Similarly, no babies should be thrown out with the bathwater of Communist history. Marx can be seen as analyst and as historical fantasist. As analyst, he off...more
As a lapsed Marxist looking for a refresher before picking up the Karl/Laura Love Story biography, I expected Eagleton's book to be nothing more than an academic cliff note version ripping the global economic climate.
But the book is witty, engaging, funny, sardonic, and full of insights. I love the way he sets up the book by having each chapter focus on a common fallacy of Marxism (held by proponents and opponents alike) and clears up misnomers. I learned a lot and am proud again to be back in a...more
But the book is witty, engaging, funny, sardonic, and full of insights. I love the way he sets up the book by having each chapter focus on a common fallacy of Marxism (held by proponents and opponents alike) and clears up misnomers. I learned a lot and am proud again to be back in a...more
May 26, 2011
Martyn
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Marxists, Lefties, Anyone who cares
This is a fabulous book. It’s not an apology for Marxism but rather a reinvigoration of the original philosophy of the man, a philosophy which has been unfairly maligned over the last century due mainly to the twin state-capitalist monstrosities built in its name by Stalin and Mao. There is nothing in Marx’s writing that leads one to think of state terror and closed societies, quite the contrary.
In this book, Eagleton takes a different, commonly held criticism about Marxism for each chapter head...more
In this book, Eagleton takes a different, commonly held criticism about Marxism for each chapter head...more
Eagleton is always interesting - because he KNOWS STUFF. This defence of Marx throws up hunners of ideas to chew over - especially in what he says about human nature and the human experience and how economics and culture affect it. The old nightmare about being stuck in the kitchen at a party trying to defend left ideas against some rabid right-winger and frantically trying to remember a few of Eagleton's belter arguments makes me imagine myself as a poor juggler trying to win a juggling contest...more
Entertaining. Never imagined I'd write that about a text on Marxism, but Eagleton writes with an urbane erudition not to be missed. Not only does he effectively dismantle many popular misconceptions about Marxism, he does so with dry but ultimately sympathetic wit. No angry revolutionary rhetoric but a great deal of wisdom and savvy that convinces the reader of several very important truths. The phrase "socialism or barbarism," is shown to be, despite the mind blowing technological advances capi...more
Sep 24, 2011
Ellie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
socio-political
Why Marx Was Right by Terry Eagleton seems to me to be a good candidate for required reading for all high school students-as well as people my age looking for a good introduction to Marx. It doesn't hurt to be a little left of center but it's not a prereq. Well-written, well-reasoned, the book is a welcome introduction to an important figure by an excellent writer. Eagleton is not rabid on his subject and is able to see flaws in his subject. And while this book won't tell someone all they need t...more
A very useful collection of chapters, each one written as a correction to putative critics of Marx - although, many people will have heard these dusty old pseudo-objections many times before. So, if you need to gather your arguments but cannot face reading all Marx's work or don't know where to start, then Eagleton has done you a fine service. Well written, well argued, this book shows that Marx's work is far more subtle and timeless than often assumed. It also interestingly illuminates the curr...more
1 like · like · see review
Eagleton'ın güzel dilinin ekmeğini haylice yemiş olan kitap. Zaten Marksizmin savunma kısımları değil de her bölümün başında getirilen eleştiriler daha ilgi çekici. Eagleton, Marx'ı tam bir demokrat, ılımlı, ontolojiyi sallamayan bir materyalist(ki bu yüzden her türlü inanç, gelenek vesairenin Marksizmle uzlaşabileceğini hatta hiç kopmayacağını savunuyor), reformist olmayan bir reform yanlısı olarak gösteriyor ama işte bu ancak nabza göre şerbet verme minvalinde kalmış. Gene de okunur mu, okunur...more
Nearly finished with it. Eagleton has a wonderfully impish wit. Quite delightful. Yes, I know that as a Catholic I cannot be a Marxist. Specifically, this means that I cannot accept the Marxist attempt to build a heaven on earth, but that does not prevent me from accepting the Marxian critique of capitalism. Chesterton did. Now I know that a person like Jeri would say that Chesterton did not know much about economics. To that I would say that a person like Jeri who thinks Bush der Zweite was a g...more
3 likes · like · see review
Breezy, warm, hilarious. I love this book. It shoves aside and stomps all your misconceptions about Marx. (And, yes, you have a bunch. Almost certainly.) If you've been noticing the ever-more-obvious cracks in the facade of Capital these last few years (that is, if your eyes are open) but are worried that anything other than capitalism leads inexorably to gulags and genocide, this is the book for you.
All of which makes this sound dull and preachy. It's not. Eagleton's hilarious and fun.
Highly re...more
All of which makes this sound dull and preachy. It's not. Eagleton's hilarious and fun.
Highly re...more
The most refreshing and legitimately optimistic book I’ve probably ever read. Eagleton deftly rescues Marx from the dustbin to which right-wingers, postmodernists, silly liberals and capitalist triumphalists have consigned him. And he does it in such a chummy, cant-free style, while thoroughly answering one attack after another, that it’s like the lamplight from a cottage window on a foggy night. While this will always be contentious, he makes a strong case for the fallacy of blaming Marx’s thou...more
1 like · like · see review
Overall excellent book, and so widely needed in western contemporary socioeconomic dialogue. Hilarious, too! Eagleton writes with humor and grace. His examples and the ways he pulls issues into the present moment are extremely useful. My one critique is that I think the introductory sections to the chapters should have been referenced, or footnoted in some way. Instead, Eagleton adopts the assumed voice of critics of Marxism--the operating term here being "assumed." I wish he had done jut a bit...more
Great work that clarifies Marx's message, addresses a wide range of issues currently besetting the world, and attempts to make people aware of the nature of economics and the tremendous influence it has on our lives. I constantly found myself saying 'Okay, but you need to also address this point,' and sure enough Eagleton covered it a few pages later. Remarkable breadth of material. It's amazing how he is able to unify so much in such a short, compact work.
Knjiga je dobro, humoristično i pristupačno napisana bar s obzirom na temu.
Ja sam je počeo čitati kao nadopunu općoj kulturi, a i zanimalo me koje se to ideje zaista kriju iza njegova imena.
"Stojim tj. sjedim" oduševljen, moj dojam najbolje izražava zadnja rečenica unutar knjige "Je li ikad neki mislilac bio tako groteskno i pogrešno shvaćen poput Marxa?" uz potpuno nov pogled na jedno prebitno područje, knjiga nudi i dosta referenci za buduća čitanja.
Ja sam je počeo čitati kao nadopunu općoj kulturi, a i zanimalo me koje se to ideje zaista kriju iza njegova imena.
"Stojim tj. sjedim" oduševljen, moj dojam najbolje izražava zadnja rečenica unutar knjige "Je li ikad neki mislilac bio tako groteskno i pogrešno shvaćen poput Marxa?" uz potpuno nov pogled na jedno prebitno područje, knjiga nudi i dosta referenci za buduća čitanja.
باید اعتراف کتم که وقتی فهرست کتاب رو می خوندم خیلی عطش پیدا کردم برای خوندنش ! فکر می کردم که کتاب حامل جدیدترین پاسخ های اندیشمندان نئومارکسیست به مهمترین ایرادات لیبرال ها به مارکسیسم خواهد بود ولی متاسفانه اینجور نبود ! کتاب در مقام مطرح کردن این ایرادات قابل قبول عمل می کنه اما در مقام استدلال در برابر این ایرادات، به نظر من بیشتر ادبی عمل می کنه تا استدلالی ! کتاب با رادیکالیزه کردن ایرادات لیبرال ها خیلی ساده به اونها پاسخ می ده و به نقاط بغرنج استدلالی اصلا وارد نمی شه ! مثلا در پاسخ به...more
If you have some prejudice against reading Marx, or you started reading his work but - for some unknown reason - you lost interest along the way, this book could act as a good remedy. You may say to yourself that cheap anti-Marxist propaganda has no effect on you, but then again resistances are most effective when they work unconsciously. This is where Terry Eagleton's book is ready to step in, so that we explore and confront the usual resistances and objections against Marxism.
I found it quite interesting. Nothing particularly new here. It is shame that his own views are so clearly expressed because it colours the argument and makes me suspicious. In the end it doesn't explain the dreadful failure of Marx's ideas in practice. Capitalism has an impressive record of reinventing and adapting itself. Marx is a timely reminder that it doesn't have to be the only game in time.
Was Marx right? I don't know, but Eagleton makes a good case for him being anything but discredited and irrelevant 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Eagleton's explication of Marx's voluminous writings reveals a complex and compelling thinker who bears little resemblance to the bloodless "from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs" caricature we learned about in high school.
I found "Why Marx Was Right" more edifying than enjoyable because it is patently d...more
I found "Why Marx Was Right" more edifying than enjoyable because it is patently d...more
This is far and away the best introduction to Marxism I've read. It clears away the "cobwebs" that have gathered over Marx' thought over the past century and a half and shows Marx' continued relevance to the present and future. While not afraid to be critical on certain points, it demonstrates the continued power and cogency of Marxist theory and the Marxist vision.
I was initially disappointed by this book, but that had more to do with my expectations than the book's weaknesses. I was expecting a hard argument, but this book is more simply a discussion of common misconceptions of Marx. Eagleton seems to expect a sympathetic audience, and he often makes very broad statements without any sort of evidence. He would not be terribly convincing to someone who disagreed with him. That said, it is often an interesting and entertaining discussion.
Oct 12, 2012
Public_enemy
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
nobody
Shelves:
philosophy
Another flabby book with shallow and unconvincing arguments that attempts to show communism in better light. The only communism we know is the one which was represented in the history; there is no some kind of "misunderstood, not-yet-happened communism". Even if it could have happen differently, the true definition of communism is that it is the ideology of weaklings (Weaklings of the world, unite!)(Revenge of the nerds!). I will always be against that. The only reason why I gave 2 stars for thi...more
Interesting format and head-on questions; however the answers are a bit all over the place, and while "well, look at yourself" might be true, it detracts from the more rigorous answer when showing up time and again, especially in the middle of the text.
A huge plus for the humor, though!
A huge plus for the humor, though!
I usually like Eagleton, but this rubbed me the wrong way. His unattributed references to what Marx believed got old real fast. At least give me a quote or something so I can make up my own mind.
Read this sometime last year.
Read this sometime last year.
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British literary critic
He is a British literary theorist widely regarded as Britain's most influential living literary critic.
Eagleton currently serves as Distinguished Professor of English Literature at the University of Lancaster, and as a Visiting Professor at the National University of Ireland, Galway.
Formerly Eagleton was Thomas Warton Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxf...more
More about Terry Eagleton...
He is a British literary theorist widely regarded as Britain's most influential living literary critic.
Eagleton currently serves as Distinguished Professor of English Literature at the University of Lancaster, and as a Visiting Professor at the National University of Ireland, Galway.
Formerly Eagleton was Thomas Warton Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxf...more
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“After all, if you do not resist the apparently inevitable, you will never know how inevitable the inevitable was.”
—
26 people liked it
“Historical determinism is a recipe for political quietism.”
—
11 people liked it
More quotes…
Jan 11, 2013 12:24pm
Thanks for the correction. I am innocent o...more
Jan 11, 2013 12:50pm
Jan 11, 2013 01:30pm