Marx (The Great Philosophers Series) [Paperback]

Terry Eagleton (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415923778 | ISBN-13: 978-0415923774 | Publication Date: August 1999 | Edition: 1

Philosophy is one of the most intimidating and difficult of disciplines, as any of its students can attest. This book is an important entry in a distinctive new series from Routledge: "The Great Philosophers." Breaking down obstacles to understanding the ideas of history's greatest thinkers, these brief, accessible, and affordable volumes offer essential introductions to the great philosophers of the Western tradition from Plato to Wittgenstein.
In just 64 pages, each author, a specialist on his subject, places the philosopher and his ideas into historical perspective. Each volume explains, in simple terms, the basic concepts, enriching the narrative through the effective use of biographical detail. And instead of attempting to explain the philosopher's entire intellectual history, which can be daunting, this series takes one central theme in each philosopher's work, using it to unfold the philosopher's thoughts.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Once in a while, a publication comes along that on first sight seems oddly out of place but on second viewing is admirably suited to its purpose. This little series of biographical summaries of the thoughts of 24 Western philosophers from Democritus to Derrida is admirable not only for its reasonable price but even more for the intelligence and clarity of the writing. Each volume has been prepared by an expert in the subject, and the result is a series of well-drawn and exceptionally useful pocket-size (4.5 x 7 inches) sketches of major figures in the history of Western thought. The level is such that no special background in philosophy is required to understand the concepts discussed. Each volume also contains a short bibliography, some of which refer to electronic journals or web sites. Most of the individuals chosen for the series come as no surprise, e.g., Descartes, Hegel, Kant, Nietzsche, Locke, Hume, Plato, and Socrates. But there are a few unexpected choices, like Alan Turing and Karl PopperAalthough on further consideration, they make more sense. Turing's influence on mathematics and on the development of computers has long been recognized, but his 1936 paper "On Compatible Numbers," which appeared in the Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society in 1936-37, influenced studies in the philosophy of mind. Popper's development of the concept of "historicism" in such works as The Open Society and Its Enemies and The Poverty of Historicism significantly influenced 20th-century political thought. Ultimately, this set should be in every academic and public library as well as many school libraries.ATerry C. Skeats, Bishop's Univ. Lib., Lennoxville, Quebec
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (August 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415923778
• ISBN-13: 978-0415923774
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #791,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb introduction to Marx and his thought., May 2, 2003

By 

Augustus Caesar, Ph.D. (Eugene, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marx (The Great Philosophers Series) (Paperback)

For those who wonder why Marxism persists as an inspiration to millions throughout the world despite the collapse of "communism" in the late 1980s, this book will provide a lucid and inspiring answer. Terry Eagleton, the foremost Marxist critic of his generation, takes only 57 pages to explain this extraordinarily complex (and fascinating) subject in lucid, straightforward prose, but he covers the subject with such enthusiasm and precision that this little book is worth any number of large, ponderous tomes on Marxism. This is, quite simply, the best introduction to the subject.

Covering such ideas as surplus value, alienation, commodity fetishism, and other elements of Marx's thought, Eagleton touches only briefly on the subject of dialectics, which he reserves for the reader to investigate on her own. He describes the truth of Marxism and dispels several myths, and by the end of this book, readers should have the preparation necessary for perusing the great man's work themselves.

We live in an era in which capitalism, imperialism, and Fascism are the rules of the game (see the Bush administration), and for those who wonder what other options exist in this world, Eagleton offers a tantalizing and important alternative.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A short and good book to get closer to Marx, April 4, 2000

By 

Alan Iud (Argentina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marx (The Great Philosophers Series) (Paperback)

I think this book is that kind of books that seem to be a "little" one, because of his size and price, but when you read it you find a new different conclusion: a great book, for wich you would pay even the double of what you paid it, where there isn't any spare word. Every reflection is full of content. It's a excellent chose for those who want to learn something new about Marx and don't have enough time to read something more extent. This book it's short, clear and interesting.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Overview, September 29, 2005

By 

J. Clark "J-Man" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Marx (The Great Philosophers Series) (Paperback)

When buying a chapbook like this, what you want is a nice overview of different aspects of a subject. Mr. Eagleton has done that very well; Marx is not the easiest person to wrap up in <100 pages. Would love to see what this title does with Derrida?