Considered by some the most controversial American philosopher of contemporary times, SIDNEY HOOK (1902-1989) was infamous for the wild swing in his political thought over the course of his career, starting out as a young Marxist before the Great Depression and ending up a vehement anti-Communist in his later years. Hook's conception of history and the individual's impact upon it is the subject of this intriguing work, first published in 1943. Subtitled A Study in Limitation and Possibility, it examines the concept of the "hero" as it relates to leadership in the modern world, the hero as a child of crisis, how the character of rulers affects society, how history swings on the contingent and the unforeseen, and much more. With sections on the Russian revolution and the influence of the hero on democracy, this unexpectedly entertaining book is an enthralling look at the theories that shaped Hook's thought and guided his changes in political alliance.

2011 Reprint of 1955 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. In this work Sidney Hook, a distinguished scholar, examines the chief issues which have divided Marxists from non-Marxists, and Marxists from each other. This volume of exposition, comment and readings is offered as an introduction to the study of Marxism in conflicting theory and practice. A valuable collection of original source readings are provided, including "The Communist Manifesto", "Historical Materialism," "The Fetishism of Commodities," "Religion and Economics," and much more by Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, Kautsky, Trotsky and Luxemburg.

". . . a remarkable book. . . . A most penetrating study of education."--Saturday Review of Literature". . . an admirable defense of the critical mind in education . . . Sidney Hook is among the the Children of the Light, that is to say, of the Enlightenment."--Albert Guerard, New York Herald Tribune". . . Mr. Hook has put his finger . . . upon the profound fallacy of most of the current attempts to 'reorganize' higher education . . . exciting reading"--Howard Mumford Jones, New York Times". . . needed by anyone who wishes to have a comprehensive view of the problems of modern education."--Wendell Johnson, Chicago Sun"Sidney Hook brings . . . a new high standard of sanity and clarity. . . . For sheer excellence of logic, and for magic of comprehensiveness, the book is head and shoulders above all recent competitors."--William Randel, St. Louis Post-Dispatch". . . a fine book . . . it has the advantage of Mr. Hook's dissecting mind, operating with the cleanness of a surgical instrument."--Jerome Nathanson, The New Republic"Wisely sane."--John Dewey