Marxist, Neo-Marxist and Third-World Interpretations of Development

Abstract

The present chapter will examine Marxist, neo-Marxist and Third World interpretations of development. Primary consideration will be given to the concept of development as interpreted by Third World leaders and intellectuals. It will explore how these leaders and intellectuals defined their national experiences in the light of colonialism and imperialism. Furthermore, if one examines some of the writings emanating from the Third World it is evident that both Marxist and neo-Marxist thought have significantly influenced Third World conceptions of national liberation and development. First, in this chapter discussion will briefly revolve around the general world political and economic conditions which facilitated the rise of decolonization. Second, I will examine the concept of development as it is reflected in the writings of Leopold Sedar Senghor, Frantz Fanon and Octavio Paz. Their attempts to link their conceptions of the Third World to the broader conception of development and underdevelopment will be considered. Third, it will examine the substantive concerns of dependency theories and their use of Marxist and neo-Marxist concepts in their analyses of the problem of Latin American development.