Marxism and the Capitalist State

This book builds on the recent revival of interest in Marx and Marxism, calling for a renewal and refinement of Marxist state theory. It aims to provoke and encourage new debates and critiques that build onbut also update and extendthe rich tradition of Marxist analyses of the capitalist state, including the well-known debates of the 1970s. The chapters present a dynamic and diverse constellation of arguments and perspectives on a range of topics, from general re-appraisals of the capitalist state to investigations of contemporary challengesincluding digitalisation, the ecological crisis, the coronavirus pandemic, social reproduction, and critical political economy. What they share is a commitment to an understanding of the specifically capitalist character of the modern state and its significance for any serious discussion of the causes of our current age of global catastrophe and the overcoming of capitalist social relations.

Of interdisciplinary interest to scholars in sociology, political science, law, history, and environmental studies Offers new perspectives on the capitalist state, drawing from theoretical perspectives within the Marxist tradition Provides both a contribution to, and raises new questions for, the elaboration of Marxist political and social theory

Autorentext

Rob Hunter holds a PhD in Politics from Princeton University, USA. He is a member of the Legal Form editorial collective.

Rafael Khachaturian is a Lecturer in Critical Writing at the University of Pennsylvania, USA.

Eva Nanopoulos is a Senior Lecturer in Law at Queen Mary, University of London, UK.

Inhalt

1. Introduction Rob Hunter, Rafael Khachaturian, Eva Nanopoulos.- 2. State, Capital, Nature: State Theory for the Anthropocene Alyssa Battistoni.- 3. 'Bursting Asunder the Integument': Democracy, Digitalisation, and the State Dimitrios Kivotidis.- 4. Crisis, Social Reproduction, and the Capitalist State: Notes on an Uncertain Conjuncture Rafael Khachaturian.- 5. From Economic to Political Crisis: Trump and the Neoliberal State Stephen Maher and Scott Aquanno.- 6. Soldiers and the State in Marx and Engels Jasmine Chorley-Schulz.- 7. To Embrace or Reject: Marxism and the 'War-Emergency Paradigm' Eva Nanopoulos.- 8. Socially Reproductive Workers, 'Life Making', and State Repression Kirstin Munro.- 9. Social Murder: Capitalism's Systematic and State-Organised Killing Nate Holdren.- 10. Beyond Abstractionism: Notes on Conjunctural State Theory Michael A. McCarthy.- 11. TheMarx Revival and State Theory: Towards a Negative-Dialectical Critical Social Theory of the State Chris O'Kane.- 12. The Capitalist State as Historically-Specific Social Form Rob Hunter.