Marxism Missing, Missing Marxism

Tom Brass, D.Phil (1982) formerly lectured in the SPS Faculty at Cambridge University and directed studies for Queens' College. He edited The Journal of Peasant Studies for almost two decades, and has published extensively on agrarian issues and rural labour relations, including Revolution and Its Alternatives (Brill, 2019).

Acknowledgements


Introduction

Marxism Missing – Presumed Dead?

How Marxism Went Missing

Why Marxism Went Missing

As Clear as Mud(de)

Essentializing Rurality?

Marxism Missing, but ...

Themes


PART 1

Marxism Missing


1 Marxism(s) within/beyond the Nation

 Introduction

 The External/Eternal ‘Other’

 The Source of Social Miracles

 Because the Country Is Hungry

 Winning the Peasantry?

 A Huge Part of the People

 Class Solidarity and/or Cultural Autonomy

 Nationalism beyond the Nation

 Privileged Sections, Cheap Immigrants

 An Indispensable Attribute

 Conclusion


2 From Marxism to the Cultural Turn (via Social History)

 Introduction

 Marxism and Third World Development

 Populism, Social History, and Third World (Non-)Development

 Enemy of the (Capitalist) State?

 History, Methods, Politics

 Social History and/as the ‘Cultural Turn’

 Ambiguity + Authenticity = Absent Marxism

 Conclusion


3 From Marxism to Nationalism (via Imperialism)

 Introduction

 The Authenticity of Populism

 The Inapplicability of Marxism

 Down the Drain (Once Again)

 India’s Chief Curse

 Populism, Nationalism, Postmodernism

 What Did the Romans Ever Do for Us?

 Conclusion


4 From Marxism to Agrarian Populism (via the Cultural Turn)

 Introduction

 Peasants, Marxism, Populism

 The ‘Cultural Turn’ and/as the ‘New’ Populist Postmodernism

 Russia Then, India Now

 Old Believers?

 Farmers, Peasants, Kulaks

 Old/New Agrarian Populism?

 A Sense of Robust Realism?

 Conclusion


PART 2

Missing Marxism


5 From Marxism to Late Antiquity (via Postmodernism)

 Introduction

 The World beyond

 Citizens, State and Economy

 Not Death but Resurrection

 Postmodernizing Premodernity

 Conclusion


6 From Modern to Ancient Capitalism (via Bourgeois Economics)

 Introduction

 Capitalism, Capitalism Everywhere

 Money Makes the World Go Round?

 Fear of Feudalism

 All Modes Lead to Rome

 Had Marx Lived ...

 Marginalism Is Not Marxism

 Building Castles in the Air

 Conclusion


7 From Class Struggle to Identity Politics ( via ‘Otherness’)

 Introduction

 Film, Sameness, Otherness

 To Keep Them Divided

 Solidarity, Struggle, Socialism

 Magical (Un-)Realism

 Diasporic Discourse

 On the Shoulders of Giants?

 Placid Multiculturalism

 Celebrating Otherness?

 Conclusion


8 Great Replacement, or Reaping the Capitalist Whirlwind ( via Populism/Nationalism)

 Introduction: The Last Taboo

 White Fright, White Fight

 Demography, Culture, Civilization

 Who/What Is Responsible?

 Rival Ethnicities, Rival Populisms

 Political Economy and/as Great Replacement

 Migration and/as Surplus Labour

 Marxism and the Industrial Reserve

 Conclusion


Conclusion

Beyond Marxism, What?


Bibliography

Author Index

Subject Index