Description
Book SynopsisThis work examines the complex, detailed relationship between the theory of wealth and the theory of power, both subsumed as they are under the overarching mantle of capitalist ideology, ever distorting real connections and evading critical issues. It examines various theories of class, state, and power either explicitly or implicitly avowed in the diverse social science disciplines of politics, economics, and sociology. In illuminating the subtle machinations of ideology, it boldly reveals the realist ontology of capitalism which produces illusory theory. The essays employ transcendental realism, emphasizing the primacy of ontology over epistemology as a mode of critique, necessarily going beyond traditional Marxian arguments in many cases. Although intended only as an analytical critique, the project is emancipatory of necessity, for it allows, ultimately, for an increased purchase on reality.
Table of ContentsPart 1 Capitalism And Social Theory: Marxism And Pluralism; Chapter 1 Marxism and Pluralism: The Fateful Marx-Weber Encounter; Chapter 2 Max Weber and Rationalization: A Critique; Chapter 3 Bureaucracy, Power, and Domination: A Commentary; Part 2 Marx and Political Theory: Theories of State, Class, and Power; Chapter 4 The Iron Law of Oligarchy: A Critique of Michels; Chapter 5 The Ruling Class: A Critique of Mosca; Chapter 6 Classical Marxism, NeoMarxism, and the State: A Retrospective; Part 3 Political Economy and Policy: The Foundations of Classicism; Chapter 7 The Riddle of Laissez-Faire: Tales of Ricardo; Chapter 8 The Demise of Ricardianism: Some Theses on Ricardo; Chapter 9 Political Economy and Policy: The Malthus-Ricardo Embroilment; Part 4 Economics and Epistemology: Toward Materialism; Chapter 10 The Foundations of Economic Analysis: Toward Realism; Chapter 11 Science, Class, and Theory: The Elusive Anatomy of Social Discourse; Chapter 12 Political Economy and Philosophy: Tensions in Orthodoxy; Part 5 EuroMarxism and Third-Worldism: Toward Autonomism; Chapter 13 EuroMarxism and “Dependency”: A Portentous Disjunction;
