ABSTRACT
Edward Thompson's interpretation of historical materialism was distinguished in that it was able to constructively correlate political aspirations to historical movement. The qualification which underpinned this approach was that all theoretical analysis should be able to be cashed practically through the processes of human agency. The stalwart position which Thompson took against orthodox Marxism and structuralism was in these terms a conscious attempt to provoke a return to the authentic concerns of the working class as understood by the people involved. Thompson enthused praxis by involving the experiences, aspirations, communitarian values and culture of the working class, carried through a polity which could be applicable to circumstances as they prevailed. Thompson was to pioneer a reading of working class life which respected their subjection to adverse circumstances, using their experiences as a platform before respectfully applying theory. It is a skill which few in the field of political theory were capable of developing.
