The Theory, Not the Theorist recovers Karl Marx's social thought from the uncongenial embrace of "Marxism." In order to do this, author Rodger Beehler first establishes that the explanation of historical change implicit in Marx's investigations of feudalism, capitalism, and European imperialism is not the "historical materialist" theory that he frequently claimed to have discovered. Secondly, the book shows that these two types of explanations are contradictory, and reveals Marx's actual (and largely unread) historical investigations to be a deeply prescient understanding of European history and politics. The result is a compelling reading of Marx applicable to today's world of global economies, imperialist politics, and eroding domestic liberties and livelihoods.