The Economic Basis of Politics
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1945. Third Edition. First Printing. 114 pages. Minor loss at corner of table of contents (cigarette burn? ). Signed by noted journalist Howard K. Smith. Third Edition, with new preface and an additional chapter. In this brief survey of Western political philosophy and contemporary constitutional arrangements, Beard concludes that it is well established doctrine that "there is a vital relation between the forms of state and the distribution of property, revolutions in the state being usually the results of contestsover property. " In advancing this axiom, Beard responds to charges that he was a "Marxist" by constructing an interpretation of Western political philosophy and history that draws a firm distinction between his economic interpretation of history and Marx's historical materialism. Beard traces the origins of his own method to the works of Aristotle, Machiavelli, Harrington, Locke, and Montesquieu. This view of political theory and political theorists stands in sharp contrast to the view prevailing among many contemporary political philosophers, who insist that political theory must somehow transcend history and rise above ordinary politics to count astheory. Condition: good.
Keywords: WWII, Fascism, Free Enterprise, Association Copy, Democracy, Bolshevism, Communism, Russian Revolution, Capitalism
[Book #45997]
Price: $50.00