Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism
- Series page
- The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Notes on contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- I Literary criticism as an institution
- II National developments in literary criticism
- III Critical movements and patterns of influence
- 11 Literary autonomy: the growth of a modern concept
- 12 Hegel's aesthetics and their influence
- 13 Marx, Engels and early Marxist criticism
- IV Later nineteenth-century developments: Realism, Naturalism, Symbolism and Decadence
- V Some major critics of the period
- VI Genre criticism
- VII Literature and other disciplines
- Select bibliography and further reading
- Index
13 - Marx, Engels and early Marxist criticism
from III - Critical movements and patterns of influence
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 February 2013
Edited by
Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism
- Series page
- The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Notes on contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- I Literary criticism as an institution
- II National developments in literary criticism
- III Critical movements and patterns of influence
- 11 Literary autonomy: the growth of a modern concept
- 12 Hegel's aesthetics and their influence
- 13 Marx, Engels and early Marxist criticism
- IV Later nineteenth-century developments: Realism, Naturalism, Symbolism and Decadence
- V Some major critics of the period
- VI Genre criticism
- VII Literature and other disciplines
- Select bibliography and further reading
- Index
Summary
In 1971, Fredric Jameson, possibly the most influential Marxist critic of the late twentieth century, recommended 'a relatively Hegelian kind of Marxism' to the literary critical world. It is arguable that, in the twelve years remaining to him, Frederick Engels did considerably more than popularize the pre-existing conceptual and textual legacy Marx had bequeathed. It is surprising, given the fact that Marx and Engels spent most of the later parts of their lives in London, that only William Morris, in this period and from this part of the world, made a noteworthy and lasting contribution to Marxist aesthetics. Morris's plentiful writings on art and its problematics within capitalism are one indication that Marxism, even in the aesthetic field, had started to spread far beyond German borders. By the end of the century the epicentre of all Marxist debate, including that around aesthetics, was moving decisively to Russia.
Keywords
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism , pp. 274 - 290Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2013