Offering an alternative exploration of the subject, ‘Marxism in Dark Times’ anchors its investigation of Marxism in the conceptual spheres of humanism, democracy and pluralism. Its essays question the stereotyped, positivist notion of the theory as practised by the exponents of official Marxism, highlight the legacy of the suppressed voices in the Marxist tradition, and provide new insights into reading Marxism in the twenty-first century—affording new perspectives on Antonio Gramsci, Rosa Luxemburg, Nikolai Bukharin, David Ryazanov and the Frankfurt School. They seek to review the phenomenon of ‘Perestroika,’ explore the new historiography on Comintern, and examine the relation between Marxism and postmodernism. With its wide-ranging provision of materials—some translated here into English from German and Russian for the first time—this collection offers a pioneering English assessment of some of the most debatable issues in contemporary Marxism.

Sobhanlal Datta Gupta was formerly the Surendra Nath Banerjee Professor of Political Science at the University of Calcutta, and is one of the most distinguished scholars of Marxism in India. His research is based primarily on German and Russian materials.

Preface; Acknowledgements; A Note on Translations; List of Abbreviations; Introduction; Part I Marxism: Beyond Dogma, an Alternative Quest; 1. The ‘Communist Manifesto’ after 150 Years: Some Observations; 2. Rosa Luxemburg’s Vision of Socialism: Some Reflections; 3. Antonio Gramsci and the Heritage of Marxism; 4. Contrasting Perspectives of International Communism on the Working Class Movement: 1924–1934; 5. Comintern: Exploring the New Historiography; 6. History’s Suppressed Voice: Significance of Nikolai Bukharin’s Prison Manuscripts (1937–38); 7. Rosa Luxemburg’s Letters as Texts of a New Vision of Revolutionary Democracy and Socialism; 8. Understanding Socialism as Hegemony: Rosa Luxemburg and Nikolai Bukharin; 9. Frankfurt School, Moscow and David Ryazanov: New Perspectives; 10. ‘Perestroika’ and Socialism: Promises and Problems; Part II Marxism: Challenges and Possibilities in the New Century; 11. Marxism in Dark Times: Rediscovering a Revolutionary Legacy; 12. Re-visioning Socialism in a Plural Age; 13. Marxism, Modernity and History: Towards an Alternative Understanding; 14. Marxism and Postmodernism: Confrontation or Dialogue?; 15. Intellectuals, Knowledge and the Masses: A Question of Pedagogy; 16. Marxism in the 21st Century: Towards a New Understanding?

“Reading these thought-provoking essays recalls the Marx who saw what others made of Marxism and said that he was not a Marxist. S. D. Gupta revisits the major figures and debates within the Marxist tradition and recovers them from the ossified dogma that twentieth-century Marxism so often became. The volume represents a major contribution to the current revival and re-evaluation of a Marxism that Marx might have recognised.” —Professor Kevin Morgan, University of Manchester

“With style and crisp clarity, Gupta restores Marxism to the side of democracy, humanism and diversity. No matter the topic, ‘Marxism in Dark Times’ brilliantly illuminates radical political thought with insightful nuanced scholarship and sensitivity toward his subject.” —William A. Pelz, Director of the Institute of Working Class History, Chicago

“‘Marxism in Dark Times’ is a good guide to what Marxism had to offer in the past and still has to offer in the present. It also provides an internal critique of opposing tendencies within the topic, particularly of ‘manualized Marxism,’ and of the damage done to the subject by cutting it off from other intellectual currents.” —Professor Helena Sheehan, Dublin City University