Description
Book SynopsisTracing the influences of Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant and Hegel that gave rise to Marx's thought, Kain presents the development of, and tension between, concepts such as freedom and community, and sovereignty and rights. He also examines the relative strengths of social and political theory.
Trade ReviewThis book is scholarly, readable, and frequently insightful. It contributes not only to the understanding of modern political philosophy, but to contemporary theorizing as well. It should be of interest to students of modern political philosophy generally, but of special interest to those who are engaged in rethinking the foundations of the socialist project—and wondering about Marx's relevance to that project. * Ethics: An International Journal of Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy *
Clearly and precisely written, Marx and Modern Political Theory is a welcome addition to Marxian scholarship. In the post-communist age and in the search for the social and political soul of Eastern Europe, this book will help us return to the foundational principles and key concepts of Marx. -- George McCarthy, Kenyon College
Kain's elegant, clear, and thoroughly readable narrative . . . deserves a wide international audience. More than a summation of past thought, it is a probing and original analysis that takes the reader into the heart of the tradition, retrieves its motives and questions, and then rephrases them in contemporary terms in order to address the issues of power, recognition, and cultural identity that have become so central to life on the far side of the Cold War. -- Walter L. Adamson, Emory University
The book represents the fruits of many years of careful analysis of texts and engaged teaching and reflection. Kain's readings of the great figures of the modern political tradition are full of concentrated exegetical exercises, judicious assessments of scholarly controversies, and real insight into the historical situation of the modern West. -- David J. Depew, professor of philosophy, California State University, Fullerton
. . . a well-crafted book . . . useful as a text or supplemental reading for certain courses in political philosophy and the history of ideas. * CHOICE *
