Marxism and Sociology: A Selection of Writings by Kazimierz Kelles-Krauz

Kazimierz Kelles-Krauz was an extraordinary figure on the Polish political scene at the turn of the 20th century. A Marxist and patriot, academic and politician, Kelles-Krauz was most known for his efforts to reconcile the needs of the nation with international socialism. This volume, however, offers a selection of his writings centred on the history of ideas, published for the first time in English. Kelles-Krauz’s works, while Marxist at heart, linked ideas stemming from the concepts of German idealists, French positivists, as well as contemporary sociologists who offered a bridge between research on individuals and the workings of social systems. Kelles-Krauz, however, repeatedly transcended Marxist tenets, focusing on the construction of traditions, social norms, and the social role of art.

This edited volume was first published in Polish as Kazimierz Kelles-Krauz: Marksizm a socjologia. Wybór pism by Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego in 2014. This current work has been revised and translated into English.

Kazimierz Kelles-Krauz (1872-1905), Polish socialist and sociologist, one of the most influential European social thinkers at the end of the 19th century. Member of the Association of Polish Socialists Abroad and the Polish Socialist Party. Author of publications on Marxism, nationalism, and sociology, most notably 'The Law of Revolutionary Retrospection'.

Helena Chmielewska-Szlajfer, Ph.D. (2014), The New School, is an Assistant Professor at Kozminski University. She has published articles on the public sphere and everyday culture and has a forthcoming book Reshaping Poland’s Community after Communism – Ordinary Celebrations (Palgrave, 2018).