The Snowden Affair, Wikiieaks, the lone wolf terrorist, Hilary Clinton's private email account - the question of the secret is arguably the central element of our contemporary political experience. Organised as a reflection on Jacques Derrida's later writings on secrecy, Charles Barbour looks at the basic ontological question: what is a secret?
Engaging with Marx's early works, this book utilizes modern literary criticism, philosophical analysis, and manuscript studies to connect his ideas with contemporary post-Marxist critiques. It posits that key Marxist concepts, such as ideology and historical materialism, were originally formulated as responses to arguments that persist in current debates. By exploring this dialogue, the text highlights the relevance of Marx's thought in addressing ongoing ideological challenges.