First as Tragedy, Then as Farce: History, Class, and Politics in The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte
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Abstract
Although The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte is often saluted and considered one of the most important, influential, and cited writings of Karl Marx, it has not been seriously studied, especially when it is compared with Marx’s other celebrated works. Among Thai academics, this work has been mentioned only in passing and it has never been taken seriously. Aiming to fill that gap, this article comprehensively examines The Eighteenth Brumaire by focusing on its background, content, theory, history, and legacy. Challenging major criticisms that this writing is dated, and it is only relevant to those who are interested in the history of France, this article argues that The Eighteenth Brumaire is still relevant to our understanding and critique of capitalism, history, politics, state, and social class in the contemporary context. In addition, this classic writing can help us rethink and reevaluate Marx, whose theories have often been misunderstood and criticized as if they disregarded the question of state, the complex composition of classes in a society, and the uncertainty and irony of historical development.
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