ERNESTO SCREPANTI is Professor of Political Economy at the University of Siena, Italy. He has published extensively on the institutions of capitalism, the history and methodology of economics, the theory of value and the theory of freedom. His recent publications include The Fundamental Institutions of Capitalism, 'Freedom and Social Goods: Rethinking Marx's Theory of Communism', in Rethinking Marxism, An Outline of the History of Economic Thought (with S. Zamagni) and 'Taxation, Social Goods, and the Distribution of Freedom' in Metroeconomica.

'It is a book that needed writing. Its overall conception is outstanding, especially for the emphasis placed on communism as a real movement of individuals engaged in the practice of emancipation. Also the rejection of all distributionist explanations of communism is fundamental.' - Howard Engelskirchen 'Libertarian communism is an excellent idea for a book and one which is well executed. I think it can have a real impact in progressive circles.' - Gerald Levy

• Introduction PART I: A THEORY OF WELFARE? Communitarian Communism The Communism of Abundance PART II: A THEORY OF FREEDOM Freedom and the Individual The Emancipation of Labour PART III: A REFORMULATION Foundations of the Liberation Theory The Politics of Communism