ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a literature review of how Marxism has interacted with psychology. The principle objective is to provide a sufficient background – and a justification – for the subsequent analysis of Sève’s own work. Starting from the work of Marx and Engels and proceeding through the Soviet experience – especially the contributions of Vygotsky and Leontiev – and the impact of Marxism on contemporary – especially critical – psychology, issues such as the conception of the individual, the relative impact of social and cultural – as opposed to economic – forces on the development of the personality and the capacity and limitations of the relationship between Marxism and psychology to provide a theoretical framework for social science analysis form the main content.
