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Book SynopsisJohn H. McClendon III''s CLR James''s Notes on Dialectics: Left Hegelianism or Marxism-Leninism? is the first-ever book devoted exclusively to James''s ''magnum opus,'' Notes on Dialectics: Hegel-Marx-Lenin. The seed for this study was planted over thirty years ago when James handed the author his personal copy of Notes. James''s contribution to dialectical philosophy and his vast intellectual and scholarly output is rivalled only by the seemingly bottomless depths of McClendon''s own analysis and erudition. McClendon provides a thorough-going critique of James''s exploration into the dialectic of Hegel, Marx, and Lenin while challenging all the seminal texts on James''s Notes''. A book of this magnitude is rare. This is ever more the truth when it is focused on a giant like James who stands at the nexus of so many disciplines: philosophy, history, sociology, Caribbean studies, cultural studies, African, and African American studies. CLR James''s Notes on Dialectics: Left Hegelianism o
Trade ReviewIn passing over stodgy traditional Marxist writings, McClendon has focused on the stupendous West Indian thinker, C. L. R. James. Having received from James a personal copy of James' treatise, McClendon magnificently dissects and clarifies this research, persuasively arguing that James's Notes should be the first read for all contemporary Marxist scholars. -- Malik Simba, California State University, Fresno
John McClendon is a rare breed: he's got the uncommon and uncanny ability to talk about complicated (or complicated-sounding) things in an accessible, engaging way. John's powers of explanation are of extraordinary value to the Left — and to political discourse more generally. -- C.S. Soong, host of Against the Grain on KPFA (Pacifica) Radio
This is a remarkable book, and certainly one of the most sophisticated treatments of James I have read. It is thoroughly researched and tightly argued. And it is an unsurpassed tribute to C. L. R. James. . . . In addition to being the only major treatise on what is perhaps James' most significant contribution to Marxist theory, this book also fills a major gap in the literature on contemporary Marxism, most of which has been written by European or North American authors who have ignored the works of James. -- Alex Dupuy, Wesleyan University
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Reminiscences of the James Legacy Chapter 2 Political Context and Philosophical Locus: The Trotskyite/Stalinist Polemic Chapter 3 James on Understanding and Reason: Kant, Hegel, and German Idealism Chapter 4 Hegel's Idealism: Marxist Materialist Reading and Inversion Chapter 5 James's Locus as Marxist Philosopher: The Humanist/Anti-Humanist Debate Chapter 6 Comparing Notes: James and Lenin on Hegel and Dialectical Materialism Chapter 7 Lenin's Theory of the Vanguard Party: Contra James's Self-Activity of the Proletariat 8 Afterword: Beyond the Boundary of the Johnson-Forest Tendency
