Nicos Polantzas: Marxist Theory and Political Strategy by Bob Jessop Review by: George C. Comninel The American Political Science Review, Vol. 81, No. 2 (Jun., 1987), pp. 616-617 Published by: American Political Science Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1961985 . Accessed: 05/10/2014 22:22 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. American Political Science Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The American Political Science Review. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 130.63.180.147 on Sun, 5 Oct 2014 22:22:32 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions American Political Science Review Vol. 81 Nicos Poulantzas:Marxist Theory and Polit- zas's development-through the influence of ical Strategy.By Bob Jessop(New York:St. French philosophy, Italian Marxism (della. Martin's,1985. xviii, 391 p. $39.95, cloth; Volpe, Gramsci, and Ingrao), and his early $14.95, paper). training in Romano-German law-imposes a sometimes awkward structure on the book. Jessop'sbook is a sympatheticand convinc- Yet these diverse elements are handled clearly ing analysis of the development of Nicos and without heavy reliance on Poulantzas's Poulantzas'spolitical thought that, paradox- jargon. ically, is not likely to find much favor among In key chapters on "Social Classes and Class those Marxistsmost influencedby Poulantzas. Alliances" and "The Democratic Transition to A majorfigure in the resurgenceof Marxist Democratic Socialism," Jessop explores the political theory during the 1970s, Poulantzas underlying connection between Poulantzas's had enormous impact upon contemporary conception of "relative autonomy" and his left- conceptionsof the capitaliststate throughhis Eurocommunist political strategy. At issue is difficult books and celebrated debate with the relationship between what Jessop refers to Ralph Miliband. For many young Marxists, as class determination and class practice. deeply disenchantedwith the crude "theory" Jessop recognizes that Poulantzas from the of orthodox Marxism-Leninism,Poulantzas start embraced the idea of relative autonomy seemed to offer a methodologicallyrigorous in order to escape from the "economism" of or- and comprehensiveapproach to the state in thodox Marxism-Leninism. He argues, how- capitalistclass society that recognizedboth the ever, that Poulantzas never resolved the complexity and "relative autonomy" of the theoretical problem of treating class deter- politicalsphere. At the same time other Marx- mination in the economic sphere and class ists, disturbed by what they saw as a for- practices in the political sphere as different malistic displacementof class struggle from aspects of the same phenomenon-that politics, were increasinglyobliged to confront political practice is autonomous, but only rela- the ideas and language of Poulantzas'san- tively. alysis. Jessop convincingly establishes the priority In the years since Poulantzas'suntimely and of a strategic continuity in Poulantzas's tragicdeath, a new debatehas emergedamong theories, with his rigorous methodological in- theoristsof the Left, between those who con- sistence on the determinacy of class "in the last tinue to insist on the primacyof class struggle instance" serving largely as a Marxist anchor and working class movements in making a for an otherwise unfettered politicism. In transition to democraticsocialism and those Jessop's view, though Poulantzas moved away who reject such "class reductionism"and in- from Althusserian structuralism, towards a stead advocate broadly based "democratic "relational" theory of the state, he finally struggle," especially involving "new social failed in his effort to develop a consistent movements," as the way towards socialism. political theory corresponding to his strategy Jessopwrites from this latter perspective,and of class alliance because of his "reluctance to arguesthat the centralpoint of referencein the abandon what he believed were the essential development of Poulantzas'spolitical theory principles of historical materialism, namely, was his commitmentto the politics of class economic determination in the last instance alliance, which in the end leads towards just and the primacy of class struggle" (p. 146). such a reformulationof the socialistproject. Jessop argues that initially this was integral to Jessop bases this claim on a close and Poulantzas's problematic structuralism, but systematicreading of Poulantzas'swork, from subsequently, after self-criticism, "Poulantzas student articles to unfinishedresearch notes, treated the articulation between class deter- taken in the context of his developingpolitical mination and class practice as contingent and strategy. He critically examines Poulantzas's conjunctural" (p. 188), and came to recognize Sartrean, "existentialo-marxiste" period; his the importance of "new social movements," Althusserian"regional theory of politics";later making this "class reductionism" theoretically theoretical reformulations influenced by inconsistent. Foucault; and the strategic/theoreticalprob- Recognizing that Poulantzas himself never lems of his final work. This focus on Poulant- resolved the problem, Jessop alternates be- 616 This content downloaded from 130.63.180.147 on Sun, 5 Oct 2014 22:22:32 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 1987 Book Reviews: Political Theory tween sympatheticappreciation for the direc- thesis of the papers, points that the main tion of his thought, and sharp criticismof its authors would have had a hard time accom- inconsistencies.Those who have questioned modating in their revisions. Some of the best the usefulnessof Poulantzas'stheoretical for- momentsin the book come in theseexchanges. mulationsmay be wryly amusedby the extent For once, the generalityof the title does not of this criticism, which locates Poulantzas's mask any great disparityof themes. Virtually real contributionin the trajectoryaway from all the chapters concern economic justice, class struggle. Marxists who accept welfare rights, and cognateproblems of social Poulantzas's framework, but reject Jessop's policy. Stylistically,virtually all operatein the political view, might well be discomforted. mode of modern analytic philosophy; even Whateverone thinks of Jessop'sviews, the Timo Airaksinen's Hegel (substantively, greatweakness of the book is its failureto con- definitely one of the outliers in the set) gets sider other criticisms of Poulantzas. In- analyzed very much in the mode of G. A. credibly, Jessop excuses himself from any Cohen'sMarx. Finally,and most importantly, discussion of the Miliband debate-on the quality of the various chaptersis surpris- groundsthat it capturedPoulantzas at his most ingly consistent. Virtually every chapter is structuralist,making it irrelevantto his work perfectly sound, though few are exciting. All as a whole. Critics of Poulantzas'sdisplace- the basic points have been heardbefore, often ment of class struggle are simply ignored, (as with Gewirth'slead essay) from the very althoughEllen Meiksins Wood had earlierex- same authors. aminedthe link between Poulantzas'spolitical Lackof originalitymakes this more a collec- strategyand his theoriesof class and state, and tion for librariesand studentsthan for research the implications of the political shift away scholars. But for teaching purposes, this is a from the working class ("Marxismwithout very serviceable collection. Alan Gewirth's Class Struggle," Socialist Register [19831). summaryof how to derivewelfare rights from Despite its strengths,therefore, Jessop's book his principleof generic consistencyis delight- fallsfar shortof beinga definitivecritical study fully pairedwith VirginiaHeld's sharp riposte, of Poulantzas's contribution to Marxist "Whatis the political power of pure reason?" political theory. Perhapsironically, however, Theodore Benditt's defense of justice as Jessop-with his injunctionto move "Beyond reciprocity evokes a nice reply from Bruce Poulantzas"-helps to make clear just how Landesmanarguing for a more thoroughgoing untenablea midground"Poulantzasian Marx- egalitarianism;and the cognate question of ism"has become. where the needs of nonproducersfit into the GEORGEC. COMNINEL Rawlsianframework is taken up again by Rex Martin.The basic logic of HenryShue's impor- York University tant argument in Basic Rights (Princeton: PrincetonUniversity Press, 1980) is set out suc- cinctly by JamesNickel. There is little new in any of this, but the uninitiatedwould enjoy and profit from it all. Economic Justice:Private Rights and Public One of the exchangesin the book does strike Responsibilities.Edited by KennethKipnis me as particularlynovel, though. The burden and Diana T. Meyers (Totowa, NJ: of Lawrence Becker's paper on "Property Rowman and Allanheld, 1985. viii, 250 p. Rightsand SocialJustice" is that since justifica- $28.50, cloth; $13.50, paper). tions for property rights are largely based on considerationsof social welfarein one way or This volume collects a sample of papers another being served by such an institution, from a