Marx, Tocqueville, and Race in America

The 'Absolute Democracy' or 'Defiled Republic'

Häftad, Engelska, 2003

AvAugust H. Nimtz Jr.,August H. Nimtz Jr,August H. Nimtz

889 kr

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While Alexis de Tocqueville described America as the 'absolute democracy,' Karl Marx saw the nation as a 'defiled republic' so long as it permitted the enslavement of blacks. In this insightful political history, Nimtz argues that Marx and his partner, Frederick Engels, had a far more acute and insightful reading of American democracy than Tocqueville because they recognized that the overthrow of slavery and the cessation of racial oppression were central to its realization. Nimtz's account contrasts both the writings and the civil action of Tocqueville, Marx and Engels, noting that Marx and Engels actively mobilized the German-American community in opposition to the slavocracy prior to the Civil War, and that Marx heavily supported the Union cause. This potent and insightful investigation into the approaches of two major thinkers provides fresh insight into past and present debates about race and democracy in America.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2003-10-17
Mått152 x 229 x 24 mm
Vikt476 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor314
FörlagBloomsbury Publishing Plc
ISBN9780739106785

Tillhör följande kategorier

Part 1 Democracy in American: Two PerspectivesChapter 2 The Lessons of the "Most Progressive Nation"Chapter 3 Tocqueville's AmericaChapter 4 The Judgement of Recent Scholarship: A Balance SheetPart 5 Toward the "General Conflagration": Theory and PracticeChapter 6 The "New World View"Chapter 7 Slavery, Free Soil, and the Workers' MovementChapter 8 Preparing for a New RevolutionPart 9 "A Last Card Up Its Sleeve": The Overthrow of SlaveryChapter 10 Explaining the Civil WarChapter 11 The New "Struggle in the Press"Chapter 12 From a "Constitutional" to a "Revolutionary" WarChapter 13 A Comradely DisagreementChapter 14 The Judgement of Modern ScholarshipChapter 15 Revolutionary PracticeChapter 16 Marx and Engels's ContributionPart 17 A Dream Deferred: The Failed "Attempt to Reconstruct Democracy in America"Chapter 18 ReconstructionChapter 19 Birth of a New Labor MovementChapter 20 Marx on RaceChapter 21 Overthrow of ReconstructionChapter 22 Were Marx and Engels Derelict?Chapter 23 When "Conditions" Become "Ripe"

August Nimtz's scholarship's establishes beyond question that Marx and Engels, not Alexis de Tocqueville, were the most profound students (and proponents) of democracy in 19th century America. Anyone who thinks Marx and Engels were the intellectual fathers of 20th century totalitarianism will be interested to learn that they are more accurately seen as supporters of radical democracy for blacks and all other oppressed people in the world.