Class Theory and History: Capitalism and Communism in the USSR [Paperback]

Stephen A. Resnick (Author), Richard D. Wolff (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415933188 | ISBN-13: 978-0415933186 | Publication Date: July 14, 2002 | Edition: 1

Class Theory and History takes an ambitious and ground-breaking look at the entire history of the Soviet Union and presents a new kind of analysis of the history of the USSR: examining its birth, evolution, and death in class terms. Utilizing the class analytics they have developed over the last three decades, Resnick and Wolff formulate the most fully developed economic theory of communism now available, and use that theory to answer the question: did communism ever exist in the USSR and if so, where, why and for how long? Their initial, and controversial, conclusion: Soviet industry never established a communist class structure. This conclusion then leads to the hypothesis that the USSR and provate capitalism in the United States to discuss the future of private capitalism, state capitalism and communism.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A very ambitious and interesting book on a very important topic..
–Howard Sherman, author of Reinventing Marxism

Using a version of Marx's theory of class to explain the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, and the Soviet Union as evidence for the validity of this theory, Resnick and Wolff succeed in providing us with an original and fascinating account of both. Whether one agrees or disagrees with their results, no future work on either of these important subjects will be able to ignore the sheer creative verve and intellectual rigor with which they lay out their arguments. Very highly recommended..
–Bertell Ollman, editor of Market Socialism: The Debate Among Socialists

A stunning achievement! Resnick and Wolff have extended their path breaking work in Knowledge and Class to a full-fledged class analysis of the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. Building on the clearest analysis of class in the Marxian tradition, Resnick and Wolff provide a comprehensive analysis of the core contradictions in pre-Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union. This is a work that all those concerned with the Soviet experience, the nature of class, and the possibilities of fundamental social change will have to contend with..
–Victor D. Lippit, editor of Radical Political Economy: Explorations in Alternative Economic Analysis

Class Theory and History both follows in the best Marxian tradition's footsteps and develops new important insights. Building upon a notion of class whose pivot is the production and distribution of surplus, the authors offer a stimulating and original interpretation of the USSR's birth, development, and fall. This is class analysis at its best, a work which deserves the widest circulation..
–Guglielmo Carchedi author of For Another Europe: A Class Analysis of European Economic Integration

Stephen Resnick and Richard Wolff, both economics professors, approach Soviet history on a highly theoretical level, analyzing the productive relations in Soviet society with sometimes mathematical (or, perhaps, pseudomathematical) precision....[A] strikingly original argument.
–Humanities and Social Sciences Online

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (July 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415933188
• ISBN-13: 978-0415933186
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,291,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Paradigm-altering, August 31, 2008

By 

Asatar Bair (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Class Theory and History: Capitalism and Communism in the USSR (Paperback)

"Class Theory and History" is an amazing study of the Soviet Union that goes well beyond the study of one society's experience. The book is about the class structure of the Soviet Union, but the way the analysis is conducted makes it clear that the questions Resnick and Wolff raise about class theory are applicable to all societies, and their particular answers in the Soviet case yield fascinating insights that have not been understood this clearly before.

Wolff and Resnick have written at length about economic theory and methodology, and this work shows their use of class theory and overdetermination. The nuance and sophistication of their analysis is remarkable; their prose touches on the ideals and tragedies of the Soviet experience, the promise and the betrayal of that promise. At the same time, they write with urgency about the successes of the Soviet Union, particularly in the one area that most economists have argued was their greatest failure: agriculture.

This book is highly recommended for all students of economic history, the Soviet Union, and class theory.