Abstract
This introduction provides an overview of major themes and debates in the development of Marxist state theory—from Marx's own forays into conceptualizing the capitalist state up until the closing of the last major wave of theory construction in the 1970s. The individual chapters comprising the volume are then introduced and situated with respect to the thematic and conceptual linkages across them, as well as the tensions and disagreements between them. What unites them is their rejection of a rigid dichotomy between economistic reductionism, on the one hand, and thinking of the state as unmoored from class conflict, on the other. The introduction concludes with considerations on the urgent tasks for Marxist state theory in the present moment, with an eye toward encouraging future research and discussions.
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Notes
- 1.
For an attempt at establishing a complementarity between these two clusters of views, see Gallas (2011).
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Hunter, R., Khachaturian, R., Nanopoulos, E. (2023). Introduction: Reopening the State Debate. In: Hunter, R., Khachaturian, R., Nanopoulos, E. (eds) Marxism and the Capitalist State. Political Philosophy and Public Purpose. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36167-8_1
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