Marxist Theory of Imperialism (A Critical Examination)

Author: (English) Tony Breuwer, translated by Lu Jun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: This book aims to outline the works of Marxist-Leninist thinkers on imperialism, more broadly speaking, on the emergence and development of the world capitalist economy. It reviews the evolution of Marxist thought on imperialism and the world economy from Marx himself to the 1970s and 1980s. Since then, the world system has undergone some dramatic changes. Of course, they cannot change what has already happened, but we might ask whether they have changed the way we understand the history of ideas and the lessons we draw from it. The book examines and compares various theories of imperialism by Marx, Lenin, Luxemburg, Hilferding, Bukharin, Mandel, Frank, Wallerstein, Laclau, Amin, Emmanuel, Arghiri, Rey, Leys, Glyn, Robinson, and others, analyzing how Marxist thinkers viewed the crucial role of imperialism in the expansion of world capitalism. The author argues that Marx inferred that unless capitalism is preempted by a socialist revolution, its expansion would inevitably lead to the full development of capitalism worldwide; Lenin and his contemporaries focused on the role of monopolies and international imperialist competition; while in the late 20th century, the focus of imperialism theory shifted to the interpretation of underdevelopment issues. The world of the 21st century is different from the past, but it is still deeply marked by the historical imprint of imperialism and capitalist development. To understand it, we need to understand that history.