Marx and Education

Book excerpt: Marx and Education is the first assessment of the educational thought of Karl Marx (1818-1883) and its later influence, in the light of developments at the close of the twentieth century. It provides a new perspective, in which many aspects of Marx's ideas are seen clearly for the first time, freed from misleading associations and outdated prejudices. Marx's thinking on education touches on many still current issues: about personal development, the nature of learning, and the ultimate aims of education, as well as the relations between the school and society. Robin Small explores Marx's approach to each of these issues and in relating them to later developments brings the story up to the present day.