Marxism and the State

PAUL WETHERLY is a Principal Lecturer in Politics at Leeds Metropolitan University. He has written a number of articles and book chapters on Marxism, state theory and the Third Way. He was the editor of Marx's Theory of History: The Contemporary Debate (1992).

Paul Wetherly provides a restatement and defence of the classical Marxist theory of the state, developing an analytical approach that draws on G.A.Paul Wetherly provides a restatement and defence of the classical Marxist theory of the state, developing an analytical approach that draws on G.A. Cohen's functional interpretation of Marx's theory of history. Instrumentalist and structuralist arguments are conceived as related causal mechanisms within the functional approach, and the principle of economic determination is shown to be consistent with the relative autonomy of the state as an institution with its own interests and capacities. This old-fashioned interpretation is defended against rival approaches within contemporary Marxism.