Why Marx Was Right is a 2011 non-fiction book by the British academic Terry Eagleton about the 19th-century philosopher Karl Marx and the schools of thought, collectively known as Marxism, that arose from his work. Written for laypeople, Why Marx Was Right outlines ten objections to Marxism that they may hold and aims to refute each one in turn. These include arguments that Marxism is irrelevant owing to changing social classes in the modern world, that it is deterministic and utopian, and that Marxists oppose all reforms and believe in an authoritarian state. In his counterarguments, Eagleton explains how class struggle is central to Marxism, and that history is seen as a progression of modes of production, like feudalism and capitalism, involving the materials, technology and social relations required to produce goods and services within the society. Under a capitalist economy, the working class, known as the proletariat, are those lacking significant autonomy over their labour conditions, and have no control over the means of production. Eagleton describes how revolutions could lead to a new mode of production—socialism—in which the working class have control, and an eventual communist society could make the state obsolete. He explores the failures of the Soviet Union and other Marxist–Leninist countries. As an author of both specialist and general books in the areas of literary theory, Marxism and Catholicism, Eagleton saw the historical moment as appropriate for Why Marx Was Right; critics said that the book was part of a resurgence in Marxist thought after the financial crisis of 2007–2008. It was first published in 2011 and reprinted in 2018 to mark 200 years since Marx's birth. In Canada, it entered Maclean's bestseller list for two weeks in 2011. Critics disagreed on whether the book succeeds in showing the relevance of Marxism. Its prose style garnered praise as witty and accessible from some reviewers, as well as criticism by others as lacking humour and using assertions rather than arguments. Experts, disagreeing about whether Eagleton's chosen objections were straw-men, suggested that the book would have benefited from coverage of the labour theory of value, the 2007–2008 financial crisis and modern Marxist thought. However, Eagleton's commentary on historical materialism was praised. Why Marx Was Right was largely criticised for its defence of the pre-Stalinist Soviet Union and other Marxist states. Some reviewers also believed that it contains economic mistakes and misrepresents Marx's views on human nature, reform and other subjects. (en)
《马克思为什么是对的》（英語：Why Marx Was Right）是2011年出版的通识读本，由英国学者泰瑞·伊格頓撰写，介绍了19世纪哲学家卡尔·马克思及其思想流派马克思主义。作为一本写给外行人看的通识读本，该书列举外界反驳马克思主义的十大论点，包括马克思主义对改变现代社会阶级毫无建树、是決定論和乌托邦思想、反对一切改革、主张威权国家等逐一批驳。 在其反驳的观点中，伊格顿认为阶级斗争是马克思主义中心思想，历史体现了生产方式发展，如封建制度和资本主义都涉及社会生产货物及提供服务所需的资料、技术及社会关系。在资本主义经济中，工人阶级是无产阶级，对劳动条件缺乏明显话事权，也无法控制生产方式。作者认为革命会引出全新的生产模式，就是社会主义，而社会主义是由工人阶级来掌控，其终极形态是共产主义，而共产主义会让国家消亡。除此之外，作者还探讨苏联及其他马列主义国家失败的原因。 作者伊格顿写过不同领域的通识读本，包括文学理论、马克思主义及天主教会。这书對他來說可說是因时代而生；书评人认为该书是2007年－2008年環球金融危機后马克思主义再度受到热捧的体现。该书于2011年发行初版，2018年因应马克思诞辰200周年再版。在加拿大，该书入选麦克林2011年畅销书周榜两次。 对于该书是否始终紧扣马克思主义这主题，各书评人看法不一。對他們來說，这书的一大亮点是其散文风格，语言风趣幽默，内容平易近人；但也有书评人认为这本书缺乏幽默感，有些地方直接是作者自己断言，而不是抛出论据。对于部分书评人认为伊格顿选择的反对观点是稻草人論證，多位专家表示不敢苟同，而是认为这书將勞動價值理論介绍得很好、2007至2008年的环球金融危机，以及当代的马克思主义思想。不过，伊格顿对历史唯物主义的评价受到表扬。从总体上看，这书最饱受批评的地方是为斯大林主义前的苏联及其他马克思主义国家辩护。有书评人认为书裡有些错误的经济观点，还歪曲了马克思对人性、改革等议题的看法。 (zh)
Why Marx Was Right is a 2011 non-fiction book by the British academic Terry Eagleton about the 19th-century philosopher Karl Marx and the schools of thought, collectively known as Marxism, that arose from his work. Written for laypeople, Why Marx Was Right outlines ten objections to Marxism that they may hold and aims to refute each one in turn. These include arguments that Marxism is irrelevant owing to changing social classes in the modern world, that it is deterministic and utopian, and that Marxists oppose all reforms and believe in an authoritarian state. (en)
《马克思为什么是对的》（英語：Why Marx Was Right）是2011年出版的通识读本，由英国学者泰瑞·伊格頓撰写，介绍了19世纪哲学家卡尔·马克思及其思想流派马克思主义。作为一本写给外行人看的通识读本，该书列举外界反驳马克思主义的十大论点，包括马克思主义对改变现代社会阶级毫无建树、是決定論和乌托邦思想、反对一切改革、主张威权国家等逐一批驳。 在其反驳的观点中，伊格顿认为阶级斗争是马克思主义中心思想，历史体现了生产方式发展，如封建制度和资本主义都涉及社会生产货物及提供服务所需的资料、技术及社会关系。在资本主义经济中，工人阶级是无产阶级，对劳动条件缺乏明显话事权，也无法控制生产方式。作者认为革命会引出全新的生产模式，就是社会主义，而社会主义是由工人阶级来掌控，其终极形态是共产主义，而共产主义会让国家消亡。除此之外，作者还探讨苏联及其他马列主义国家失败的原因。 作者伊格顿写过不同领域的通识读本，包括文学理论、马克思主义及天主教会。这书對他來說可說是因时代而生；书评人认为该书是2007年－2008年環球金融危機后马克思主义再度受到热捧的体现。该书于2011年发行初版，2018年因应马克思诞辰200周年再版。在加拿大，该书入选麦克林2011年畅销书周榜两次。 (zh)