Lenin described The Agrarian Question as the first systematic Marxist study of capitalism and agriculture and the most important event in economic literature since the third volume of Capital. This great work is regarded as Kautsky's main achievement and is a classic work of analysis.

Kautsky's pariah status in the eyes of revolutionary Marxists resulted in many years of neglect, but his role and work are now commanding great attention. The analysis of the transformation of peasant economies by capital in The Agrarian Question is now seen as particularly relevant to contemporary Third World peasant economies.

This remarkable translation, which brings out the humanity - and the humour - in Kautksy's writing, is more than a work of economic analysis: in a manner ahead of his time, Kautsky integrates questions of political strategy, ecology, sexuality and the family.

The illuminating reassessment of The Agrarian Question in the introduction by Professor Teodor Shanin and Hamza Alavi examines in detail the political context, Kautsky's own life, the development of Kautsky's ideas within the work, and its contribution to our understanding of the world today. This timely re-evaluation of Kautsky's significance is long overdue.

About the Author

Karl Kautsky was a Czech-Austrian philosopher, journalist, and Marxist theoretician. Kautsky, a close associate of Friedrich Engels, was a public critic of the Bolshevik Revolution, engaging in debates with Lenin and Trotsky. Kautsky was the author of many volumes including The Agrarian Question which tackled issues of peasant life, agrarian technology and economics.

Book Information
ISBN 9781853050244
Author Karl Kautsky
Format Hardback
Page Count 274
Imprint Pluto Press
Publisher Pluto Press
Weight(grams) 600g