Marxist thought pervades American academic discourse, particularly in the humanities and the social sciences. Fernández-Morera shows why the survival of these ideas is unjustified in the face of their theoretical and practical problems and their historical record. Fernández-Morera provides a comprehensive critique of Marxist/materialist discourse as it pervades contemporary American scholarship. He examines the rhetorical and ideological underpinnings of the discourse, the socioeconomic circumstances and personality type of its academic practitioners, and its impact on other forms of academic speech. He also exposes the epistemological and ethical consequences of the discourse in light of the history of the 20th century and explains its remarkable success in the academic world.Being multidisciplinary, the book should challenge many and appeal to those interested in criticism, politics, epistemology, ethics, history, sociology, and even economics. Certainly all those interested in the condition of higher education will find it provocative.

A detailed analysis of how and why Marxist thought pervades contemporary American higher education and scholarship.

IntroductionThe Marxist Approach in Academia IThe Marxist Approach in Academia IIThe Pursuit of PowerThe Marxist Approach to Ethics IThe Marxist Approach to Ethics IIThe Marxist Defenses I: From "Denial" to "Apocalyptic Visions and Elastic Displacement of the Objects of Oppression and the Sources of Liberation"The Marxist Defenses II: From "Misery as an Ideal" to the "Desperation Defense"Problems of the Marxist Approach: PracticeProblems of the Marxist Approach: TheoryConclusion: The Strange World of the Academic IntellectualsSuggested Further ReadingsIndex