Friedrich Engels and Marxian Political Economy

Reevaluating Engels' Contributions to Marxist Thought

Samuel Hollander author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Published:30th Jan '14

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Friedrich Engels and Marxian Political Economy cover

This book reassesses the contributions of Engels to Marxian economic theory, emphasizing his unique insights and collaborative efforts with Marx.

In Friedrich Engels and Marxian Political Economy, the author delves into the significant yet often overlooked contributions of Engels to Marxian economic theory. The book provides a thorough examination of Engels' defense of Marx against allegations of plagiarism, highlighting the depth of their collaboration. It also addresses Engels' critiques of 'utopian' socialists, emphasizing his understanding of the price mechanism as a vital component of economic analysis. This work challenges the traditional view of Engels as merely a follower of Marx, instead presenting him as a pivotal figure in the development of Marxist thought.

The narrative further explores the complexities of Engels' position within the Marxian framework, particularly his so-called revisionism, which is analyzed through the lens of constitutional and welfare reform. By doing so, the author repositions Engels as a sophisticated interpreter of historical materialism, illustrating his unique contributions that extend beyond mere support for Marx. This book serves as an essential resource for understanding the foundational elements of Marxian economics and the critical role Engels played in shaping its trajectory.

Ultimately, Friedrich Engels and Marxian Political Economy seeks to dismantle the prevailing myths surrounding Engels' legacy, arguing for his recognition as a thinker in his own right. This volume complements Samuel Hollander's earlier work, The Economics of Karl Marx, offering a fresh perspective on the intricate relationship between Engels and Marx, and the broader implications for political economy.

'Based upon an extraordinarily close and careful reading of the texts, Hollander presents a detailed, comprehensive, and sophisticated assessment of key issues in the development of Engels's (and Marx's) economic ideas - this is a major and impressive contribution to scholarship in the field.' Greg Claeys, Royal Holloway, University of London
'A valuable, incisive, and compelling account of Engels's contribution to the economics of Marxism. At last, Hollander has revealed the great debt which Marxian political economy owes to Marx's right-hand man.' Tristram Hunt MP, Queen Mary, University of London
'Hollander's critical dissection of Friedrich Engels's economic thought is scholarly, provocative, and engaging. This book makes a major contribution to our understanding of one of nineteenth-century socialism's most important, and most neglected, economists.' John King, La Trobe University
'Samuel Hollander is the leading authority on classical economics. His erudite and incisive accounts of Smith, Ricardo, Malthus, Mill, Say, and Marx are definitive. In his new book, Friedrich Engels and Marxian Political Economy, Hollander shows that Engels was more than the junior partner of a famous man, the second author of The German Ideology and The Communist Manifesto. Engels was an important and influential thinker in his own right. Disentangling Engels from Marx, exploring the intricacies of Engels on economic theory, applied economics, history, legislation, and the State, Hollander fills a major gap in the literature of ideas. The book is a major contribution to the social sciences. It will be the definitive analysis of an important author who is seldom read and even less frequently understood.' D. A. Reisman, Nanyang Technological University and University of Surrey
'This volume adds substantially to our understanding of the distinctive contribution made by Engels to nineteenth-century socialist political economy. Hollander's work makes clear Engels's role in shaping Marxian political economy in the 1840s and subsequently. Engels emerges in this work as a thinker whose capacity for self-effacement and deference to Marx too-often obscured the originality and importance of his contribution to socialist thinking. Engels in Hollander's rendition proves a more subtle and original theorist than he is often presented and certainly not as a proponent of the crude determinism which some have seen as his corruption of the Marxian legacy. Taken with his earlier volume … The Economics of Karl Marx, Hollander's Friedrich Engels and Marxian Political Economy represents a major addition to the scholarly literature on these two titans of socialist thought.' Noel Thompson, University of Wales, Swansea

ISBN: 9781107617308

Dimensions: 234mm x 156mm x 24mm

Weight: 650g

424 pages