Unorthodox Marxism: An Essay on Capitalism, Socialism, and Revolution [Paperback]

Michael Albert (Author), Robin Hahnel (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 388 pages
• Publisher: South End Press; 1st edition (July 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896080048
• ISBN-13: 978-0896080041
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,108,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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5.0 out of 5 stars Not just about Marxism! deeply penetrating social analysis about America, October 23, 2010

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Thomas P. Burwell "tom" (Huntsville, AL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Unorthodox Marxism: An Essay on Capitalism, Socialism, and Revolution (Paperback)

"Life in the United States [can be] alienated and oppressive not because advanced technology or human nature are innately evil, but because our institutions and consciousness have evolved historically, largely in 'entwinement'." (pg. 180)

Goes on to say racism, authoritarianism, sexism, and classism are "entwined" characteristics that cyclically work together to sustain and reproduce themselves in our society.

"We get law, schooling, technology, jobs, and even art, not to further human capabilities but rather to reproduce racism, sexism, hierarchy, and classism. In general, in our society, when people gain something worthwhile, it is either because they fought for it, or because it was in someone else's crassest interests for them to have it." (pg. 180)

The book says we must take into account race, hierarchy, sexual kinship relations, and class to get a true view of the operation of any human-centered aspect of society. For example, factories and all jobs produce "human outputs"--personality traits, skills and talents, knowledge and understanding of the world, values, and social relations--in addition to the material inputs and outputs that current legal/political/social policy concentrates on.