The Davidson Debate. Bourgeois Revolutions in Historical Perspective

Neil Douglas Davidson

In the words of Mike Davis, Neil Davidson’s How Revolutionary Were the Bourgeois Revolutions? (2012) “resets the entire debate on the character of revolutions: bourgeois, democratic, and socialist”. Epic in scale and nuanced in its address to a wide range of questions on the emergence of capitalism, Davidson’s book made a major contribution to understanding the historical character of political change. The Davidson Debate brings Bridget Fowler’s introduction to the debates, with three important responses to the book by Dylan Riley, Charles Post and Heide Gerstenberger, as well as the authors long and sustained reply to his critics. Supplementing and extending his earlier work, this book represents an important further contribution to Marxist scholarship. The Davidson debate will, no doubt continue, and this collection will play an important role in future discussion of the important questions it addressed.

Biographical Note

Neil Davidson was one of the most prominent Marxist theorists of his generation. His pioneering work on bourgeois revolution, transition to capitalism in Scotland and the history of capitalist societies have contributed to the renewal of Marxist scholarship.

Readership

This book is especially relevant to historians of capitalism, of social transition, modes of production, Marxist theory, Marxist historiography, historical sociologists, historians of the French Revolution, bourgeois revolution, revolution and political economy.

Foreword
Editorial Note

1 Property Leading the People?
Dylan Riley

2 ‘How Bourgeois Were the Bourgeois Revolutions?’: Remarks on Neil Davidson’s Book
Heide Gerstenberger

3 How Capitalist Were the ‘Bourgeois Revolutions’?
Charles Post

4 Why Marxism Needs the Concept of Bourgeois Revolution
Neil Davidson

References
Index

Neil Douglas Davidson

Biographical Note

Readership

Table of Contents

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