Theory as Critique, while discussing many central issues of Marxian theory, has two main emphases: First, as the title suggests, it takes seriously Capital&;s claim to be a critique of economic theory, rather than a contribution to political economy. Understanding what this means, it shows, goes far to unravelling many difficulties traditionally found in Marx&;s book, from the nature of his theory of class to the 'transformation problem'. Secondly, Mattick&;s volume carefully explores how to bridge the gap between the extreme abstraction of Marx&;s ideas and the complex reality that they are intended to help us understand. |