[4] The work for which Cohen is best known, Karl Marx's Theory of History helped to establish analytical Marxism and was awarded the Isaac Deutscher memorial prize.

"[9] Karl Marx's Theory of History: A Defence helped establish analytical Marxism as a school of thought,[5] and came to be seen as a classic.

"[3] The political theorist Norman Geras described Karl Marx's Theory of History as the leading philosophical discussion of the way in which the character of human beings in any setting depends upon the nature of the prevailing social relations.

[13] The philosopher Roger Scruton, though finding Cohen's attempt to present historical materialism as a scientific hypothesis impressive, states that it shows how difficult it is to develop the necessary concepts.

They believe that Cohen's analysis is of higher quality than that of the main protagonists in the debate, reinforcing their critical view of the work of Paul Baran, Andre Gunder Frank, and Immanuel Wallerstein.