Marx's critique of political economy: intellectual sources and evolution

In this volume, Allen Oakley analyses the intellectual sources and evolution of Marx's critique of political economy leading up to the writing of the main Capital manuscripts. The period treated, from 1844 to 1860, takes us from Marx's first studies of political economy to the detailed critical investigations of the Grundrisse manuscripts and their partial presentation in A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy.

The book provides a clear and open analytical exposition of the contents of the texts in a way that enables readers to understand the intellectual influences on Marx and the consequent evolution of the critico-theoretical core of his work. It clarifies Marx's own view of what he was trying to achieve through his critique of political economy and makes possible a fuller appreciation of his contribution to intellectual history. In particular, the themes of value, income distribution and the 'law of motion' of capitalism in Marx's thought are traced to their origins. Attention is given throughout to the shifts of emphasis in this evolving critique while denying that it involved any 'epistemological break. Oakley writes with insight and stresses the intellectual-historical context in which Marx wrote, successfully combining a number of aspects of Marxian studies-bibliography. biography, the formation of Marx's 'mature' critique of political economy and a critical evaluation of his development of economic concepts.