Abstract

In the wake of what could be called the “neoliberal crisis,” Marxism can seem more relevant than it has for some time. The concern in this article is to examine where Marxism stands in terms of recent cultural changes, as well as where these changes leave post-Marxism, the most sustained critique of Marxism from within the Marxist fold. Also considering what role Marxist thought can play as a response to neoliberal hegemony, in terms of theory, politics, aesthetics, and the arts world in general. Just because there is a crisis of neoliberalism, however, does not mean that classical Marxism holds the answer by default, and that its faults and failings can just be ignored. More than ever we need to keep bringing these to attention, confronting them and challenging them if we want to make the case for the importance of the Marxist tradition and its ideas to a wider audience. Overall, therefore, this article amounts to a defence, if a somewhat qualified one, of the post-Marxist position.