Karl Marx's Theory of History

The application of advanced philosophical techniques in a defence of historical materialism made the first edition of this book, published in 1978, a flagship for analytical Marxism. In this edition, the author re-constructs the theory, discussing the implictions and his reservations. First published in 1978, this book rapidly established itself as a classic of modern Marxism. Cohen's masterful application of advanced philosophical techniques in an uncompromising defence of historical materialism commanded widespread admiration. In the ensuing twenty years, the book has served as a flagship of a powerful intellectual movement - analytical Marxism. In this expanded edition Cohen offers his own account of the history, and the further promise, of analytical Marxism. He also expresses reservations about traditional historical materialism, in the light of which he reconstructs the theory, and he studies the implications for historical materialism of the demise of the Soviet Union.