Understanding Marxism

Richard Wolff’s Understanding Marxism is an excellent and highly accessible populist work that introduces Marx’s critique of the inherent contradictions and inevitable problems that plague – and will continue to plague – capitalism. So, he sets out to show how the contemporary experience and understanding of the relationship between employer-employee emerge from because it is the modern manifestation of the historical distinction, which is hierarchical, oppressive and ultimately “exploitative, between master-slave and Lord-serf - Zizek, in his small text The Relevance of the Communist Manifesto, offers a unique response to this line of critique and reasoning.Above I mention the accessibility of the writing – in fact, there is a crystalline clarity to it - and if you have watched Wolff’s show or listened to his interviews, it’s as if Wolff is speaking in his usual manner that avoids academic jargon and communicates his ideas directly. This is an extremely helpful and useful guide to understanding Marx, and I am hoping many young intelligent politically-minded university students will read it – e.g., those who might be unfamiliar with Marx - because it offers a sensible corrective to the ill-informed Marxist critics on the so-called “intellectual dark web” (IDW) who repeatedly, without properly understanding Marx, scapegoat him and employ him as a bogeyman to enhance the arousal of fear and alarm with their rhetoric.Ultimately, and here I agree with Wolff, Marx might be said – bound intimately with Marx’s notion of “species being” (a term Wolff avoids) – to show why “ending exploitation [is] necessary to actualize social commitments to liberty, equality, brotherhood, and democracy” (36-37). So, instead of a utopian (end-of-history) communist or socialist model for society, Wolff, through his reading of Marx, offers what might be termed a philosophical or even commonsensical (and achievable!) model of what a more socially aware and humanly grounded workplace might look like – one that is Marxist in nature and instantiates people coming together in more “democratic, egalitarian ways.” (71).Wolff also directs readers to primary source material for further study - so, all the quotations included are traced to Marx's original writings, which readers are encouraged to seek out.To conclude, readers must be aware that this pamphlet – indeed, this is what Wolff calls it – does not attempt to serve as a broad or sprawling introduction to Marx and his writings. Thus, when ordering it, be aware that it is not akin to academic introductions and critiques of Marx such as Peter Singer’s Marx: a Very Short Introduction (OUP) or Allen Wood’s Karl Marx (Routledge).

Professor Wolff has an admirable ability to present the essence of his subject with out cant. Best introduction I have ever read.

I've been a fan of Professor Wolfe for a few years now, and I am happy that this essay is presented in the same plain speech as one of his many lectures. It is a very concise introduction to the ideas of Karl Marx, and I would recommend it to anyone who has a slight familiarity with the terms Marxism, socialism, or communism. I was expecting a much longer work of nonfiction, so my only complaint is that it is too short. Still, it is well worth the price.

The book is great! It is a simple summary of a large and otherwise complex topic. This is great for those who need a primer on Marxism and what it actually is, and not the child war propaganda version your parents and grandparents went on about.

Dr. Richard Wolff has a gift for simplifying complex material, distilling it down to its essence, and delivering it in a winsome manner. His gifts are on display here, for Karl Marx is a hard read. And yet, after reading this introduction, it is possible to catch a glimpse of hitherto unseen trains of Kark Marx's thought. After reading this introduction, it is clear that Marxism is not the same thing as Communism, or Socialism, or Fascism. Marxism is nothing more than an analysis and critique of Capitalism. That analysis and critique is used by many for their own purposes, purposes that have only a tenuous relationship to the source material.

I grew up assuming capitalism wasn't a system of economics, but THE system. I look back now and am appalled that my education taught me to accept this, completely uncritically. What else can you think of that has only pros, no cons? But we were taught that that is true of capitalism. What a convenient, self-serving lie to prop up those who benefit most: the elites that profit from our blind faith in their false narrative.This book, as well as Professor Wolff's podcast, Economic Update, have opened my eyes to the exploitation and inequity of capitalism. It's not that these things happen to occur alongside capitalism; capitalism REQUIRES gross income inequality to function.I personally have done well enough under capitalism. Not as well as I could have, given all my advantages of opportunity, especially early in life, but I, for my part, am content. But I am NOT content that I've been afforded countless advantages that most Americans are not. The game we call the American Dream is rigged, and I HATE rigged games - even those rigged in my favor.

Wolff delivers the tenets of Marx’s political philosophy in a digestible and cohesive manner, guiding the reader through what exactly the fundamentals of his theories are, and prepping the reader for Marxist literature. I recommend this for those who are beginners or those who want a brief refresher.

A good simple guide.

Really good book that goes to the heart of the matter. It was my introduction to Marx and the Left in general, and I recommend it to everyone.

Les ouvrages d’introduction au marxisme sont devenus rares. Pour les lecteurs qui n’en ont aucune idée, cet opuscule peut être une première introduction, mais son contenu est très très (trop?) basique et se lit en moins de deux heures. Mais… quand on manque de grives, on mange des merles!

Great of explanation of Marxism in few pages but sticking to the core points.The title could have well been "Marxism for Dummies" :)

It's a fantastic piece of literature that makes so much sense that one wonders why such a harmless and incredible thought has not been widely followed.