1. Introduction to our critical Marxism - Ian

Outline

This introduction to Marx and revolutionary Marxism is in three parts, focusing (1) on our experience of oppression and exploitation – alienation, dialectics and materialism – (often discussed as the contribution from German philosophy), (2) on the development and history of capitalism – structure, progress and class – (usually discussed as drawn from French socialism), and (3) on collective struggle against capitalism – labour, exploitation and communisation – (from a critique of English political economy). Our critical Marxism – that of the Fourth International and our allies – is an open inclusive and incomplete tradition of analysis and intervention, learning from class struggle and political movements to understand and change the world (and so we need to discuss, develop and transform those European three component parts of Marxism in a way that is attentive to different forms of oppression).

Primary readings

Bhattacharya, T. (2018) Mapping Social Reproduction Theory

Lenin, V. I. (1913) The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism

Mandel, E. (1986) Appendices to The Place of Marxism in History: ‘The Development of Marxism Diagram’, ‘The Eight Main Periods of the “History” of Marx’, ‘A Few Events of Marx’s Time’

Marx, K. (1845) Theses on Feuerbach

Secondary readings:

Marx, K. (1859) Preface to A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy

Marx, K. (1867a) The Labour Process, extract from Capital Volume 1

Marx, K. (1867b) The Modern Theory of Colonisation, chapter 33 of Capital Volume 1

Marx, K. (1871) The Paris Commune, chapter from The Civil War in France

Trotsky, L. (1936) Family, Youth and Culture, chapter 7 of The Revolution Betrayed