This edited volume takes a close look at Nicos Poulantzas’s thought as a means of understanding the dynamics of the capitalist, neoliberal state in the 21st century. Nicos Poulantzas has left us with one of the most sophisticated theories of the state in the second half of the 20th century. Poulantzas’s influential theory draws inspiration from Marx, Lenin, Weber, and Foucault, among other thinkers, conceiving of the relationship between capitalism and the state as particularly original. This book aims to use Poulantzas’s theory of the capitalist state in order to understand important political and economic trends that have taken place since Poulantzas’s death in 1979. By entering into a dialogue with current Marxist and critical research in diverse fields such as political science, philosophy, sociology, history, and geography, this volume purports to evaluate the actuality of Poulantzas’s thought.
Table of Content
1. the State and the Democratic Road to Socialism.- 2. Nicos Poulantzas’s Strategic Reflection, Between Economics and Politics.- 3. the Capitalist State, Hegemony and the Democratic Transformation Toward Socialism.- 4. Specters of ‘Totalitarianism’: Poulantzas Faced with Fascism and the State of Exception.- 5. the Comintern’s Uncertain Heritage.- 6. The Eurocommunism of the Intellectuals: Poulantzas and the Third Way to Socialism.- 7. the Ligue Communiste RéVolutionnaire, Nicos Poulantzas, and the Reception and Discussion of His Theory.- 8. Poulantzas: From Law to the State.- 9. Geographies of the State: Nicos Poulantzas and Contemporary Approaches to State/Space.- 10. A European Capitalism? Revisiting the Mandel-Poulantzas Debate.
About the author
Jean-Numa Ducange is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Rouen, France.
Razmig Keucheyan is Professor of Sociology at the University of Bordeaux, France.
David Broder received his Ph D in History from the London School of Economics, UK.