A critical overview of Karl Marx’s legacy, focusing on the limits and contradictions of Marx’s thought in the context of late twentieth-century politics and theory. 

Conway explores how Marx’s diagnosis of capitalism influenced subsequent political movements, academic theory, and cultural criticism — and why, in his view, Marx’s framework struggles to account for contemporary economic and social life.

Rather than attacking Marx as merely obsolete, Conway situates the critique within broader debates over labour, value, class, and ideology. He examines the historical roots of Marx’s thinking, its enduring insights, and its blind spots — especially in relation to subjectivity, culture, and the complexities of global capitalism. The result is a philosophy-meets-politics book that neither canonises nor dismisses Marx, but invites serious engagement with his problems and legacies.

A concise, accessible introduction for readers interested in Marxism, critical theory, and the ongoing debates about capitalism’s future. First edition Viking paperback from 1986.