Rethinking Marxism by Anjan Chakrabarti

Rethinking Marxism by Anjan Chakrabarti

This comprehensive collection examines Marxist theory through contemporary Indian economic and social contexts. The work provides critical analysis of class formation, working class conditions, and labor relations in postcolonial India. Twenty-one chapters explore capitalism, primitive accumulation, economic development, and informal sector dynamics. The collection includes postcolonial critique of economic dualism, analysis of state formation and nationalism, and examination of postcapitalist alternatives and also includes:

• Comprehensive examination of Marxist theory through contemporary Indian economic and social contexts
• Critical analysis of class formation, working class conditions, and labor relations in postcolonial India
• Theoretical framework for understanding capitalism, primitive accumulation, and economic development
• Postcolonial critique of economic dualism and informal sector dynamics in developing economies
• Analysis of state formation, nationalism, and imperialism in the context of neoliberal globalization

This title has been co-published with Aakar Books. T&F does not sell or distribute the print edition in South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka).

“Marxism, India, and indeed the world are constantly changingThe importance of this book is its engagement with all three changes, their interactions, and their implications. These include how they shape one another as global capitalism faces historic geo-political crises. Th e hegemony of western capitalism is dying. Th e global east and south are emerging.

Capitalism’s costs and Marxism’s systematic criticism once again raise the basic questions about our present and our future. This book speaks directly to those questions.”

— Richard D. Wolff, Professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA.

“This comprehensive collection brings together the joint work on India of Anjan Chakrabarti and Anup Dhar who have been pushing the boundaries of Marxism for over two decades. The contents of this volume reveal the thoroughness of their holistic analysis of the different aspects of the Indian economy all the while questioning, expanding and transforming the fundamental concepts of Marxism towards new horizons.

This much-needed rigorous and reflective reworking of Marxism freed from its determinist chains and its use in understanding of contemporary India by these brilliant scholars will inspire Marxists not only in India but everywhere in the world.”

— Serap A. Kayatakin, Professor, School of Humanities and Social

Sciences, American College of Thessaloniki, Greece.

“This compilation of some of the articles published by two of the most prolific current Indian contributors to Marxist theoretical explorations today, should be an exciting acquisition for researchers and scholars. To those conversant with the work of the Rethinking Marxism school this should be a handy reference.

It contains both a theoretical engagement with other Marxist approaches and insights into the way in which problems relating to Indian economy and polity can be analyzed from this particular class focused Marxist perspective.”

— Pranab Kanti Basu, Former Professor of Economics and Politics, Visva Bharati, Shantiniketan, India.

“By reconfiguring Marxism theory centered on the class process and overdetermination and applying it to the postcolonial Indian context, the authors present a fascinating postcapitalist alternative for the World of the Third.”

— Seongjin Jeong, Professor of Economics at, Gyeongsang National University (GNU), South Korea.

Anjan Chakrabarti is currently Professor of Economics, University of Calcutta, India. His co-authored book with Anup Dhar is titled Dislocation and Resettlement in Development: From Third World to World of the Third. He is also the recipient of Dr. V. K. R. V. Rao Prize in Social Science Research in Economics.

Anup Dhar is former Professor of Philosophy and Psychology, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi, India. His co-authored book with Anjan Chakrabarti is titled World of the Third and Hegemonic Capital: Between Marx and Freud.