WSG5: MARXISM & PHILOSOPHY IN THE 21ST CENTURY: MATERIALISM & IDEALISM-Epub Version

In Marxism & Philosophy in the 21st Century: Materialism & Idealism, C. Ritchie accessibly considers the history of philosophy in relation to Marxism. Ritchie describes the differences between Ancient Greek atomists, empiricism, 18th and 19th century idealists, metaphysics, Descartes, materialism, and post-modernism. Ritchie considers the modern understanding of freedom, and the difference between choice and variety. He also examines Antonio Gramsci’s concept of hegemony, his views on the importance of intellectuals.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
C. Ritchie has written on other aspects of Marxism, as well as two books and many articles on comedy. He has had 30 jobs, was a lecturer for over a decade, and worked extensively in the catering industry. C Ritchie now runs AVzounds.co.uk a spoken word/music production company, mixing ‘radical speech with lo-life beats.’ He lives near the River Tees.

WORKERS’ AND STUDENTS’ GUIDES
Manifesto Press’ Workers’ and Student’s Guides aim to provide a solid foundation for informed discussion that challenges the facile prejudices and myths imposed by bourgeois hegemony. Where ideological discussions that spring from daily life, the mass media and the world of work our Guides aim to arm working people with the arsenal of ideas that serve the aim of winning working class political and state power.

This series will provide that arsenal by bridging the divide between the zeitgeist discussion and the political and cultural reality. The information provided will be applicable and relevant to the readers everyday life as a worker, influencer, negotiator, and a participant in the cultural conversation. They will also provide a means of questioning the dominant narratives fed us by the media, a tool that can undermine the bourgeois hegemony at source.