In the Shadow of Marx

Over the last decade, interest in Karl Marx and his political and intellectual legacy has experienced a widespread resurgence around the world. César Rendueles’ In the Shadow of Marx—available in English for the first time—offers a rigorous yet accessible entry point into these debates. Rather than focusing on activism or contemporary political debates, Rendueles concentrates on the intellectual foundations of the tradition and the questions that continue to shape it.Divided into two parts, the book first examines core theoretical questions in Marxism, including debates on ontology, ethics, and epistemology. Rendueles traces how these issues appear in Marx’s own writings and how they evolve across major Marxist schools. The second part turns to key interlocutors such as Antonio Gramsci, Karl Polanyi, and Louis Althusser, offering clear, critical readings that help students understand how these thinkers have shaped, challenged, and expanded Marxist analysis.In the Shadow of Marx provides students, scholars, and emerging researchers with a clear, thoughtful guide to the analytical resources Marxism still offers and the questions it pushes us to confront.