This article begins with Samir Amin’s family background to understand his development as a fiercely committed Marxist who throughout his life was dedicated to changing the world. All the disappointments and defeats of the cause he espoused only sharpened his determination. The article reviews Amin’s professional career in economic planning and some of the key concepts that he elaborated in the interest of social change—including eurocentrism, the law of worldwide value, and maldevelopment—before turning to his concern with political Islam, which he saw as an accessory to imperialism.
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AminS. (2006a). A life looking forward: Memoirs of an independent Marxist (trans. CamillerPatrick). London, UK: Zed Books.
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AminS. (2007). Political Islam in the service of imperialism (trans. James Membrez). Monthly Review, 59(7). Retrieved from https://monthlyreview.org/2007/12/01/political-islam-in-the-service-of-imperialism/
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AminS. (2008). Eurocentrism (trans. MooreRussell). New Delhi, India: Aakar Books.
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