On changing the world

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This collection of essays explores the history of Marxism as a political philosophy, offering a reintegration of the revolutionary socialist tradition. Michael Lowy emphasizes cultural, ethical, and spiritual dimensions often overlooked by the dominant economistic approach in Marxist literature. He addresses issues such as the national question, religion, Utopia, and the Romantic impulse within Marxist political culture. Here, "politics" encompasses a wide range of everyday human concerns, while "philosophy" pertains to fundamental theoretical, methodological, and ethical inquiries. This political philosophy seeks not only to interpret the world but also to change it, aligning with Marx's assertion in his "Thesis XI on Feuerbach." The concept of revolution, with its historical and social dimensions, is a central theme throughout the essays. Alongside Karl Marx, the collection highlights figures from the revolutionary/humanist strand of Western Marxism, including Rosa Luxemburg, Gramsci, Lukacs, and Walter Benjamin. These thinkers collectively view socialism as the only humane alternative to modern barbarism, employing a dialectical approach to social reality and recognizing Romanticism as a vital source for the Marxist critique of capitalist civilization and an essential aspect of the Marxist Utopia.