Sociological Theory: Karl Marx

What if you could be a student in the morning; an accountant in the afternoon; and a physical therapist in the evening -- then try three completely different trades the following day? This was Karl Marx's vision for the world. Marx; a 19th century German philosopher; believed the proletariat; or the working class; was enslaved by the bourgeoisie; or ruling class. Despite being a small percentage of the population; the bourgeoisie controlled the vast majority of the world's wealth and all means of production. But what if all the workers of the world got together. Could they oust the ruling class?

This book offers a unique re-conceptualization of Marxism in bringing together leading scholars across disciplines history, philosophy, economics, politics, sociology, and literary and culture studies into one comprehensive corpus. It demonstrates the engaging relevance of the perspectives and techniques of the analyses adopted by Karl Marx, Frederich Engels and contemporary Marxists, and will be immensely useful to scholars and researchers across social sciences as well as general readers interested in Marxism.

First published in English in 1929, this is a reissue of Otto Rühle's comprehensive biography of Karl Marx. Written by a leading Marxist and key figure within the German Labour movement, this is an exceptionally detailed and well-researched study which sets Marx's life and work firmly within its social and historical context before examining in depth the major events of his life and the writings for which he has become such an influential figure in modern political philosophy. The final chapter offers an appraisal of both the man and his work, as Rühle summarises why he believes Marx was a genius.