ABSTRACT
This chapter carries out a genealogy of critical development theory in relation to Marxism which has played a dominant role in the fild. It traces the complex views of Karl Marx himself, the sharp turn taken by Leninism, the practice of development in the socialist world to, finally, take up the challenge of postdevelopment. Our emphasis is on tensions and contradictions and we do not assume a linear progression to a unified critical development theory. The Marxist engagement with development must also itself be deconstructed and not seen as a simple theoretical framework to be applied in a simplistic way.
