Marxism as an intellectual movement has been one of the most important and fertile contributions to twentieth-century thought. No social theory or political philosophy today can be taken seriously unless it enters a dialogue, not just with the legacy of Marx, but also with the innovations and questions that spring from the movement that his work sparked, Marxism. Marx provided a revolutionary set of ideas about freedom, politics and society. As social and political conditions changed and new intellectual challenges to Marx's social philosophy arose, the Marxist theorists sought to update his social theory, rectify the sociological positions of historical materialism and respond to philosophical challenges with a Marxist reply. This book provides an accessible introduction to Marxism by explaining each of the key concepts of Marxist politics and social theory. The book is organized into three parts, which explore the successive waves of change within Marxist theory and places these in historical context, while the whole provides a clear and comprehensive account of Marxism as an intellectual system.

"A clearly written introduction to the major thinkers and philosophical schools of the Western Marxist tradition. This is the only book that will get students from the Frankfurt School to Habermas and on to Žižek with clarity and even-handedness.'"

Terrell Carver

"An excellent basis for reviewing and reconsidering the large branches of Marxist thinking about the complex reality of contemporary capitalist society... the book provides an extensive and nuanced explication of the theoretical ideas and developments that have grown out of the Marxist tradition.'"

Source: Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

"The book should be commended for the skill with which the author moves between a general overview of Marxism, and an understanding of the particular schools of thought that it has inspired. Understanding Marxism is a superb book, and would serve any instructor well in undergraduate and graduate courses on radical political theory. Not only does it offer a comprehensive introduction to Marx, Marxism and contemporary radical theory for those who are new to radical politics, but also to the learned academic who would like to know where to look next to further their understanding.'"

Source: Marx and Philosophy Review of Books