First published in 1978, this book rapidly established itself as a classicof modern Marxism.

The Marxist tradition consists of a distinctive combination of social and historical theory, socialist values and political practice, with secular materialist underpinnings. The theory of history inspired by G. A. Cohen's work retains its vitality as a research program, and the socialist value base is also in reasonable shape. Any recovery of the tradition needs however to confront the negative legacy of Marxism's historical past. The theory of history does influence socialist political practice, as has been assumed by most Marxists (...) but denied by Cohen. This influence is not necessarily conducive to classical socialist goals, however, and a considerable tension exists between the most defensible version of historical materialism and socialism's antimarket values. (shrink)

Darwinian evolutionary theory marries a genetic account of the origin of species to a selectionist account of their subsequent fate. The Marxian theory of history is analogous: class struggle provides an account of the origins of new regimes of production and selection pressures explain their subsequent history. The theory is technologically determinist, but there are three distinct doctrines ascribing primacy in different ways to the technological forces of production over the social relations of production. Natural Primacy is probably true but (...) of limited relevance to the debate about historical process. Intentional Primacy, as advocated by G. A. Cohen, is untenable. Competitive Primacy is a genuinely evolutionary doctrine that may even be true. (shrink)

"Philosophical anthropology on the grandest scale....Gellner has produced a sharp challenge to his colleagues and a thrilling book for the non-specialist. Deductive history on this scale cannot be proved right or wrong, but this is Gellner writing, incisive, iconoclastic, witty and expert. His scenario compels our attention."—Adam Kuper, _New Statesman_ "A thoughtful and lively meditation upon probably the greatest transformation in human history, upon the difficult problems it poses and the scant resources it has left us to solve them."—Charles Larmore, (...) _New Republic_. (shrink)