Marx: A Very Short Introduction

Marx's economic theories are not a scientific account of the nature and extent of exploitation under capitalism. They nevertheless offer a vivid picture of an uncontrolled society in which the productive workers unconsciously create the instruments of their own oppression. It is a picture of human alienation, writ large as the dominance of past labour, or capital, over living labour. The value of the picture lies in its capacity to lead us to see its subject in a radically new way. It is a work of art, of philosophical reflection and of social polemic, all in one, and it has the merits and the defects of all three of these forms of writing. It is a painting of capitalism, not a photograph.

This brief account of Marx's life and thought is show more surprisingly comprehensive give its size. Singer's prose is as lucid and articulate as ever. His assessment of Marx is insightful and fair. I can highly recommend this short work as a good point of entry for anyone interested in the broad strokes of Marx, but reluctant to take the deep dive into something longer. Fans of Singer would likely find his reading of Marx interesting in its own right as well. show less

This is a highly readable introduction to Marx written by a philosopher who generally writes highly readable philosophical tracts.

As others have noted Singer too easily dismisses Marx contribution to economic theory. Classical economists appalling lack of success as "scientists" have once again been aired out in our most recent "crisis of capitalism." On the other hand, critics of classical economics such as Steve Keen, whose economic models accurately predicted the financial crisis, acknowledge their indebtedness to Marx' economic theories.

Aside from that, Singer hits just the right note by pointing out that Marx' enduring contribution is his ideas on freedom and his critique of capitalism as a social organization. Singer also is show more correct in emphasizing how Marx' belief in material dialectics and the inevitability of Communism inadvertently led to the militant utopian, authoritarian "communist" movements of the 20th century.

Be that as it may, the disdain for Marx in the US is just one more sign of the intellectual poverty prevalent in US culture. Singer is a good antidote. show less

If "Marx: a Very Short Introduction" were any shorter, it'd be a pamphlet, so I wasn't really planning to review this one. Furthermore, Its author is mostly known for his rather radical notions about animal rights and charitable giving. I'm writing a review, though, because this little book pleasantly surprised me. It provides a plainspoken history of Marx's influences and ideas and aptly describes his theory's strengths and failures. It's perfect for students preparing to wade into heavy theory, readers curious to figure out how Marx's ideas relate to the history of modernity, or general readers wanting to know more about a name that still pops up regularly in writings connected with a number of different academic fields. This one is show more short, to the point, and recommended. show less

What it says on the tin.

We start with an overview of the life and then an introduction to the thought as it developed with a very clear exposition. One of the few Very Short Introductions where I came in knowing next to nothing and felt I understood something at the end.

Peter Singer discusses Marx as a political philosopher on par with Locke, Hobbes and Rousseau which cuts straight to utility of Marx and Marxism in our times. After tracing the life of Marx and the development of his ideas, he wraps up the text with a contrast against liberalism. In that contrast which I feel does the best job of encapsulating Marx's idea Singer centers the how freedom is understood and from there works backward to the economic system.

I come away from this text with a great deal of admiration of Marx as a thinker. Not just for his insights but because I relate so much to the process with staring with an idea (Hegelian Philosophy) and arriving at something significant. That process of discovery is the joy of learning in show more my opinion. show less

The author did his best to present this very summarized of Marx ideas without bias for any side. He position Marx as one of the most important philosophers of XIX century, but this did not restrain him to criticize some ideas, mainly in economics, that were wrong as further studies proved. However the importance of Marx is not diminish, and in some way is the reverse. I recommend this book as an introduction to Marx, mainly for those free market advocates that keep criticizing Marx without fully understanding his contribution.

I purchased this book wanting a biography written by a "fan" of Karl Marx. Being somewhat familiar with Peter Singer's reputation, I assumed his book would fit that bill. While I still think Prof. Singer is a proponent of Marxism (or at least the idea of a collective society), I don't think he needlessly elevated the 19th century philosopher; in fact, I think Peter Singer did a wonderful job of stating the facts when necessary and (mostly) writing a fair biography.

I fully expected this book to be a 140 page biography of the man Karl Marx, it was more than that. Peter Singer spends the first 21 pages providing a biography of Marx, from here on, he provides the basis for Marx's philosophical beliefs. Yet Prof Singer does not simply state show more who influenced Marx and recount the prolific author/philosopher's works (published and unpublished), Singer provides his own insight into Marx's philosophy.

While I don't agree with Karl Marx, and I likely have little affinity with Professor Singer, I appreciate his book. Singer's 'brief insight' was only short in length yet profound in terms of depth. I came away with a complete understanding of Marx's philosophy and what help shape his ideology - that is, short of reading all of Marx's writings. As I expected the author was complimentary of his subject, though, despite my assumptions when ordering the book not so enthralled that Karl Marx was portrayed as infallible or that his theories are without flaw.

A reasonable read without academic tedium. show less