This paper assesses Elias�s recently published critique of Marx written in the 1960swithin the contemporary context of neo-liberalism. Based on a chapter written by Elias and intended for publication in What is Sociology? (1978) it argues that although Elias�s makes some acute and penetrating points in his assessment of Marx, on occasion he caricatures Marx�s arguments, and at other times recapitulates common erroneous criticisms. It argues that Elias�s position is actually closer to Marx than his misjudged criticisms suggest, and that both writers, despite their differences, have a particular relevance in the current neo-liberalism context characterised simultaneously by increasing global interdependencies and a �de-civilising� spurt