Debatir Poulantzas. Perspectivas críticas sobre el Estado y las Relaciones Internacionales / Rodrigo Pascual y Javier Waisman (eds.); Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Prometeo, 2023

Abstract

The present paper constitutes a critique of the book Debatir Poulantzas. Critical Perspectives on the State and International Relations, edited by Rodrigo Pascual and Javier Waiman (Prometeo, 2023). The volume aims to update and challenge the theoretical legacy of Nicos Poulantzas by establishing a dialogue between his thought and subsequent developments in Marxist state theory. Through contributions from renowned authors, the book is structured in two sections: the first focuses on the fundamental concepts of Poulantzas’s theory of the state, and the second extends the debate to the international sphere, within the context of capital globalization. The compilation articulates a discussion that transcends mere exegesis, raising the need for a renewal of Marxism that accounts for the transformations of capitalism while maintaining its anchorage in class struggle. Throughout the chapters, the authors examine theoretical tensions between structure and agency, the articulation between political form and class relations, and the potential to reconcile Poulantzas’s perspective with the contributions of the German state derivation school. In addition, the book addresses strategic implications for contesting the state apparatus from the standpoint of the contemporary left. The present critique assesses the book’s contributions to the renewal of Marxist thought on the state and international relations, highlighting both its theoretical achievements and its prospects for future research in the field.