The demise of the Soviet Union and the fall of communism has had a particular profound and traumatic effect on the Arab world and its intellectuals. They have now had to reposition themselves within an entirely new geopolitical context. This, in turn, has demanded a radical re-appraisal of the Arabs' world view - an entire set of political, social and economic premises has had to be re-thought. This study covers a wide range of topical and controversial issues, with particular reference to the Arab countries. Most chapters have an explicit or implicit comparative outlook that reveals to what extent Marxism in the Arab world has common inherited features with, or divergent perspectives from, its European counterpart. The contributors include: Maurice Godelier, Fred Halliday, Susan Vosper, Paul Hirst and Ali Shamsavari.