Archive of Utopia or Bust
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Etienne Balibar - From Althusserian Marxism to the Philosophies of Marx? Twenty Years After
Etienne Balibar's short book, The Philosophy of Marx, has rightly become the classic introduction to Marx's work since its first publication in English in 1994. Covering the entire range of Marx's writings, from his early philosophical writings to Capital and his later work, The Philosophy of Marx is not only a clear and concise guide to Marx but places his writing in its theoretical and historical context.
The new edition of The Philosophy of Marx is substantially updated, with a two substantial new essays which examine Marx's philosophy (one covering his Theses on Feuerbach, the second on Marx and politics), as well as a new introduction, reproduced below. In it, Balibar discusses the genesis of the book, his relationship to Althusser's philosophical reading of Marx, and the problems of a Marxist philosophy.For this week only, and to celebrate the publication of the new and substantially updated edition of Etienne Balibar's now classic introductory text, we have 40% off our entire list of Karl Marx primers. To see the full list click here.
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New Year, New Chance to Read Marx
It's time to make resolutions for the year to come! With the rise of the far-right, global economic instability, the looming threat of catastrophic climate change, capitalism run wild - the time has never been more ripe to brush up on your Karl Marx.
For this week only, and to celebrate the publication of the new and substantially updated edition of Etienne Balibar's now classic introductory text The Philosophy of Marx, we have 40% off our entire list of Karl Marx primers.
All titles below are 40% off until Sunday, January 15th, at midnight UTC. Includes free ebooks where available and free worldwide shipping.
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Verso's Economics Bookshelf
“Before capitalism will go to hell, it will for the foreseeable future hang in limbo, dead or about to die from an overdose of itself but still very much around, as nobody will have the power to move its decaying body out of the way.” - Wolfgang Streeck
After years of ill health, capitalism is now in a critical condition. Growth has given way to stagnation; inequality is leading to instability; and confidence in the money economy has all but evaporated.
We present a reading list of titles that examine our current economic state, including Wolfgang Streeck's critically-acclaimed new analysis, How Will Capitalism End? -
Emerging Futures: A Bookshelf
In this moment of wide-scale rejection of establishment politics and the global rise of a right wing populist movement, we need utopian and radical visions of society more than ever.
This is not escapist wishful thinking but a reimagining of society as one that values people over profits, that rules democratically and collectively, that provides for the needs of all citizens. In this calamitous time, utopian thinking can inform our social movements and our strategies for building a better future. -
It’s Not About NAFTA
Nissan plant, Smyrna, TN.
The 2016 election was primarily a referendum on US trade and immigration policies. Trump’s case, insofar as one could be found amid all his bloviating, was something like the following: the US sent jobs abroad at the same time as it let workers in from Mexico, and that has been bad for most Americans. It’s worth remembering that Trump began his campaign by attacking financial elites, who, he said, had paid off the politicians to keep this con act going. Since Trump is so rich, he won’t have to take their bribes. He’ll renegotiate.
Well, it doesn’t take a degree in political science to predict that Trump will fail to “make America great again.” In all likelihood, the real winners here will be the traditional constituencies of the Republican Party: big business and social conservatives. Everyone else will lose. Meanwhile, Trump will use the presidency to hound his enemies and expand his personal wealth. And that’s the best case scenario.