Abstract:
Many shy away from Marxism, associating it only with the Soviet Union. This thesis attempts to highlight and briefly explain selections from the large body of Western Marxist theory in order to show the independence of Marxism from the Soviet influence and acquaint the reader with some of the significant topics examined by western Marxists. It begins with a brief history of Marxism and socialism and moves on to an explanation of the fundamental concepts in Marxism. The thesis then covers the views of various Western Marxist theorists, including Adorno, Luis, Benjamin, Gramsci, Althusser, and Zizek. It also includes discussions of theorists such as Sartre and Derrida, who, while influential in their own right, made attempts to integrate their theories with Marxism.
