Book Review: Elliott Johnson, David Walker and Daniel Gray, Historical Dictionary of Marxism (Second Edition)
| DOI | 10.1177/1478929916672961 |
| Date | 01 February 2017 |
| Author | Yves Laberge |
| Published date | 01 February 2017 |
| Subject Matter | Book ReviewsPolitical Theory |
Political Studies Review 15 (1)
The focus of Part III is upon the present and
without complaisance. For example, former
likely future of the state: assessing ‘globalisa-
President of Benin, Mathieu Kérékou, is defined
tion’ and whether the ‘state of exception’ has
as ‘more pragmatically nationalist than ideologi-
become the new ‘normal’. A final chapter spec-
cally socialist and more authoritarian than demo-
ulates about whether we are living in the era of
cratic’ (p. 226) and ‘increasingly incompetent
the ‘permanent austerity state’.
and corrupt’ (p. 226). Some of the most reward-
Overall, this is a compelling account of the
ing entries are dedicated to theoreticians like
morphology of the contemporary state. It is
Marx and Engels (of course) but also TW Adorno,
hard to think that anyone knows more about
Walter Benjamin, Frantz Fanon, Antonio
state theory than Bob Jessop, and here he
Gramsci, Jürgen Habermas, Georg Lukacs and,
applies this encyclopaedic knowledge with
more recently, Slavoj Žižek.
great forensic skill. Although it self-describes
Inevitably, each new dictionary implies the
as ‘accessible’, this is not an easy read. But it
haunting question: ‘Who is missing?’ In this
generously rewards the concentration and dis-
case, the absence of British theoretician Stuart
cipline that its content commands.
Hall is difficult to explain because he relied
much on Marxist concepts to enhance Cultural
Chris Pierson
Studies from the 1970s. However, we do find a
(University of Nottingham)
detailed entry on Hall’s main influence, EP
© The Author(s) 2016
Thompson, the author of essential books
Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav
including The Making of the English Working
DOI: 10.1177/1478929916676926
journals.sagepub.com/home/psrev
Class (1963) and a catalyst of the renewal of
Marxism in Great Britain from the early 1960s,
through the influence of his journal, The New
Historical Dictionary of...
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