Marxism
Articles about Marxism, and key Marxist texts.
Money and Crisis: Marx as Correspondent of the New York Daily Tribune, 1856-57 - Sergio Bologna
Sergio Bologna on Marx's writings on capitalism and crisis in the world recession of 1856-58.
Editorial Note: This article was written in 1973. It was a key article in developing the theoretical base of the newly emerging politics of working-class autonomy. This translation is taken from a forthcoming volume to be published by Red Notes: Selected Writings of Sergio Bologna. For further details, write to Red Notes, BP15, 2a St Paul's Road, London N1.
Some fundamental presuppositions for a materialist discussion of crisis theory - Karl Korsch
Korsch writes on crisis theory in 1933.
I
Notes on Endnotes
A short summary and critical analysis of “Endnotes 1: Preliminary Materials for a Balance Sheet of the 20th Century” which "presents a discussion between two contemporary French groups on the relation between the present class relation and the failed revolutions of the 20th Century." http://endnotes.org.uk/
The debate was between Gilles Dauvé & Karl Nesic and the Theorie Communiste group and covered such issues as the conception of proletariat and communism, periodisation of struggles, historical determinism etc.
Endnotes 1 was published in October 2008.
Notes on Endnotes
Summary
Here’s a brief and partial summary of the five texts that make up ‘Endnotes 1’:
The Socialist Party of Great Britain - One Hundred Years - Red and Black Notes
Red and Black Notes critically look back on the history of the SPGB at the time of the 100 year anniversary.
The Socialist Party of Great Britain celebrated its centenary in June 2004. The party was founded by former members of H.M Hyndeman's Social Democratic Federation after a struggle in that organization. The founding conference adopted a declaration of principles (which still appears in every issue of its journal) and began to publish the Socialist Standard two months later.
The Legacy of CLR James - Red and Black Notes
The following article was written for an on-line discussion of CLR James' book Facing Reality. It was been edited for publication by Red and Black Notes, and is republished here.
When Martin Glaberman died in Detroit last year, it was in many ways the end of a tradition. Marty often referred to himself as an "unreconstructed Johnsonite" and given that James died some 12 years previously, he could reasonably claim to be the last survivor of the tradition.
The dictatorship of the proletariat - Maximilien Rubel
Maximilian Rubel's 1976 contribution to the debate around the French Communist Party's 'abandonment' of the dictatorship of the proletariat. In it, he characterises it as being linked to the party's long-term abandonment of Marx and the primacy of the struggles of the working class in favour of their own vanguardist ambitions.
In the current debate on the French Communist Party’s (PCF) “abandoning” of the dictatorship of the proletariat one essential point which merits our particular attention for its pre-eminence in clarifying the meaning and nature of this decision seems to have been overlooked: it is precisely the Party which has taken upon itself the right to determine whether or not the proletariat should exercise
The real movement - Red and Black Notes
The following article was prompted by an email discussion with a comrade from Britain questioning the use of the term, "The real movement" of communism.
I. The quote from Marx and Engels The German Ideology where the term first appeared.
II. The statement introducing the Red & Black Notes web page.
III. A comment by Red & Black Notes on the use of the term.
I Marx, Engels & the "Real Movement"
Notes on Class
Richard Gunn's notes offer a lucid contribution to the attempt of elaborating what is meant when the concept "class" is employed in Marxist thought.
NOTES ON 'CLASS'
Richard Gunn
(Common Sense, No. 2, 1987)
Introduction to Marx's early writings - Lucio Colletti
The late Lucio Colletti discusses the content of Marx's early writings and how their late emergence influenced Marxism and the reinterpretation of Marx.
Written as an introduction to the Early Writings volume of the Penguin Marx Library; London, 1975.
Stirner, Feurbach, Marx and the Young Hegelians - David McLellan
A summary of Stirner's ideas and their strong impact on his fellow Young Hegelians. McLellan asserts that Stirner's influence on Marx has been under-estimated and that he "played a very important role in the development of Marx's thought by detaching him from the influence of Feuerbach", his static materialism and his abstract humanism. Stirner's critique of communism (which Marx considered a caricature) also obliged Marx to refine his own definition. Stirner's concept of the "creative ego" is also said to have influenced Marx's concept of "praxis".
Source; originally a chapter in The Young Hegelians and Karl Marx; David McLellan, MacMillan Press, UK, 1980.
MAX STIRNER
1. STIRNER'S LIFE AND WORKS
