A Revised Historical Materialism

Book excerpt: The three essays in this volume can be read individually, but all turn on the case for a revision of Marx' and Engels' historical materialism and for a less arbitrary way of reading their texts. The first one deals with the major weaknesses of Marx' and Engels' historical materialism and how to develop a better alternative without losing the critical and revolutionary edge of the original version. The second one demonstrates how Hal Draper misread some crucial passages in The Communist Manifesto, and offers a more cogent representation. The third one is a mere sketch, but suggests how the revised historical materialism outlined in the first essay makes it possible to understand the phenomenon of war.