The Cambridge Companion to The Communist Manifesto

Description

The Cambridge Companion to The Communist Manifesto covers the historical and biographical contexts and major contemporary interpretations of this classic text for understanding Marx and Engels, and for grasping Marxist political theory. The editors and contributors offer innovative accounts of the history of the text in relation to German revolutionaries, European socialism, and socialist political projects; rhetorical, dramaturgical, feminist and postcolonial readings of the text; and theoretical analyses in relation to political economy, political theory and major concepts of Marxism. The volume includes a fresh translation into English, by Terrell Carver, of the first edition (1848), and an exacting transcription of the rare earliest English translation (1850) by Helen Macfarlane.

Terrell Carver is a Professor of Political Theory at the University of Bristol. He has published widely on Marx, Engels and Marxism since 1975, including texts, translations, commentary, biography and philosophy of social science. Most recently, he authored a two-volume study of Marx and Engels's 'German ideology' manuscripts (2014). He is also author of The Postmodern Marx (1998). James Farr is a Professor of Political Science and the Director of a Chicago-based civic internship program at Northwestern University. He is the co-editor of After Marx (Cambridge, 1984) and, most recently, The General Will: The Evolution of a Concept (Cambridge, 2015). His studies place Marx and Engels in the context of historical debates about method and their reception in the history of political thought.

'The Manifesto is one of the most widely read works in the whole of political thought, and yet there is remarkably little commentary focused specifically on it. This book fills a real gap in the literature. It contains a series of excellent essays that illuminate all aspects of the Manifesto: its context, its ideas, its influence, and its legacy. An essential aid to the study of this seminal text.' Sean Sayers, Emeritus Professor, University of Kent 'Wide-ranging and informative, this collection succeeds in being both scholarly and accessible. I can think of no other work that provides better coverage of the genesis, content, and impact of this essential text.' David McLellan, Emeritus Professor, University of Kent, and Fellow, Goldsmiths, University of London 'A specter is haunting the globe, the specter of the Communist Manifesto! In their timely addition to the Cambridge Companion series, Terrell Carver and James Farr have given new vibrancy to this classic politico-theoretical work by Marx and Engels, drawing together a fascinating collection of scholarly essays that allow us to see not only the historical importance of this text but also how it still speaks to, and acts within, our current political economic world in which inequality reigns and global capitalism continues its 'open, unashamed, direct, brutal exploitation'. This collection is a must-read for both political theory scholars looking for a renewed perspective on this classic political tract and new students interested in delving into the exciting world of the Manifesto for the first time.' Bradley J. Macdonald, Colorado State University 'This is a valuable collection of essays that offers a diverse set of readings and insights into one of the most explosively affective short texts ever written.' Sean Sheehan, Marx and Philosophy Review of Books