History and Structure

“Schmidt, one of the leading commentators on the critical theory of the Frankfurt School, defines a theory of history that is an epistemology of materialist historical thought. Dividing his study into two parts, he deals in the first half with historical texts of Hegel and Marx; he posits that Marx’s work is at the same time theory and epistemology, and he supports his arguments by references to Horkheimer, Adorno, Feuerbach, and others. His defense of the Hegelian concept of ‘dialectical mediation’ of logic and history is particularly persuasive. In the second half of the book, Schmidt attacks Althusserian and other structuralists’ theories, but appropriates part of them. Well-written, clear and informed, the study does much to clarify the present discourse between the Frankfurt School’s critical theorists and the structuralisms.” The Antioch Review “Schmidt quietly and convincingly settles accounts with Althusser’s structuralism; this is a scrupulous addition to the recent literature on Marxism. Russell Jacoby