II. Introduction to revolutionary Marxism
Room 257, Richard Hoggart Building, Goldsmiths.
Sundays, 1-4pm.
• required / + recommended reading
Marx and Engels readings pp. from Robert C. Tucker, ed., Marx-Engels Reader (Norton 2nd ed., 1978)
Recommended winter break preliminary readings:
+ Leszek Kolakowski, “The concept of the Left” (1968)
+ Richard Appignanesi and Oscar Zarate / A&Z, Introducing Lenin and the Russian Revolution / Lenin for Beginners (1977)
+ Sebastian Haffner, Failure of a Revolution: Germany 1918–19 (1968)
+ Tariq Ali and Phil Evans, Introducing Trotsky and Marxism / Trotsky for Beginners (1980)
+ James Joll, The Second International 1889–1914 (1966)
+ Edmund Wilson, To the Finland Station: A Study in the Writing and Acting of History (1940), Part II. Ch. (1–4,) 5–10, 12–16; Part III. Ch. 1–6
Film screenings: January 2018
• 37 Days (2014) [Episode 1] [Episode 2] [Episode 3]
• Fall of Eagles (1974) episodes: "Absolute Beginners," "The Secret War," and "End Game"
• Rosa Luxemburg (1986)
• Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States (2012) Episodes A (1900-20) and B (1920-40)
• Reds (1981)
Week 11. What is Marxism? VI. Class consciousness | Jan. 14, 2018
• Lukács, Original Preface (1922), “What is Orthodox Marxism?” (1919), “Class Consciousness” (1920), History and Class Consciousness (1923)
+ Marx, Preface to the First German Edition and Afterword to the Second German Edition (1873) of Capital (1867), pp. 294–298, 299–302
Week 12. What is Marxism? VII. Ends of philosophy | Jan. 21, 2018
• Korsch, “Marxism and philosophy” (1923)
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
+ Marx, To make the world philosophical (from Marx's dissertation, 1839–41), pp. 9–11
+ Marx, For the ruthless criticism of everything existing (letter to Arnold Ruge, September 1843), pp. 12–15
+ Marx, "Theses on Feuerbach" (1845), pp. 143–145
Winter–Spring 2018
II. Introduction to revolutionary Marxism
Week 13. Revolutionary leadership | Jan. 28, 2018
• Rosa Luxemburg, “The Crisis of German Social Democracy” Part 1 (1915)
• J. P. Nettl, “The German Social Democratic Party 1890–1914 as a Political Model” (1965)
• Cliff Slaughter, “What is Revolutionary Leadership?” (1960)
Week 14. Reform or revolution? | Feb. 4, 2018
• Luxemburg, Reform or Revolution? (1900/08)
+ Eugene Debs, "Competition versus Cooperation" (1900)
Week 15. Lenin and the vanguard party | Feb. 11, 2018
• Spartacist League, Lenin and the Vanguard Party (1978)
Break for Platypus European Conference | Feb. 18, 2018
Week 16. What is to be done? | Feb. 25, 2018
• V. I. Lenin, What is to be Done? (1902)
+ Richard Appignanesi and Oscar Zarate / A&Z, Introducing Lenin and the Russian Revolution / Lenin for Beginners (1977)
Week 17. Mass strike and social democracy | Mar. 4, 2018
• Luxemburg, The Mass Strike, the Political Party and the Trade Unions (1906)
+ Luxemburg, "Blanquism and Social Democracy" (1906)
Week 18. Permanent revolution | Mar. 11, 2018
• Leon Trotsky, Results and Prospects (1906)
+ Tariq Ali and Phil Evans, Introducing Trotsky and Marxism / Trotsky for Beginners (1980)
Week 19. State and revolution | Mar. 18, 2018
• Lenin, The State and Revolution (1917)
Week 20. Imperialism | Mar. 25, 2018
• Lenin, Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism (1916)
+ Lenin, Socialism and War Ch. 1 The principles of socialism and the War of 1914–15 (1915)
Week 22. Failure of the revolution | Apr 1, 2018
• Luxemburg, “What does the Spartacus League Want?” (1918)
• Luxemburg, “On the Spartacus Programme” (1918)
+ Luxemburg, "German Bolshevism" (AKA "The Socialisation of Society") (1918)
+ Luxemburg, “The Russian Tragedy” (1918)
+ Luxemburg, “Order Reigns in Berlin” (1919)
+ Eugene Debs, “The Day of the People” (1919)
+ Sebastian Haffner, Failure of a Revolution: Germany 1918–19 (1968)
Week 23. Apr. 8, 2018 [Platypus international convention]
Week 24. Retreat after revolution | Apr. 15, 2018
• Lenin, “Left-Wing” Communism: An Infantile Disorder (1920)
+ Lenin, "Notes of a Publicist" (1922)
Week 25. Dialectic of reification | Apr. 22, 2018
• Lukács, “The Standpoint of the Proletariat” (Part III of “Reification and the Consciousness of the Proletariat,” 1923). Available in three sections from marxists.org: section 1 section 2 section 3
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
Week 26. Lessons of October | Apr. 29, 2018
• Trotsky, The Lessons of October (1924) [PDF] + Trotsky, "Stalinism and Bolshevism" (1937)
Week 27. Trotskyism | May 6, 2018
+ Trotsky, "To build communist parties and an international anew" (1933)
• Trotsky, The Death Agony of Capitalism and the Tasks of the Fourth International (1938)
+ Trotsky, "Trade unions in the epoch of imperialist decay" (1940)
+ Trotsky, Letter to James Cannon (September 12, 1939)
Week 28. The authoritarian state | May 13, 2018
• Friedrich Pollock, "State Capitalism: Its Possibilities and Limitations" (1941) (note 32 on USSR)
• Max Horkheimer, "The Authoritarian State" (1942)
Week 29. On the concept of history | May 20, 2018
• epigraphs by Louis Menand (on Edmund Wilson) and Peter Preuss (on Nietzsche) on the modern concept of history
+ Charles Baudelaire, from Fusées [Rockets] (1867)
+ Bertolt Brecht, "To posterity" (1939)
+ Walter Benjamin, "To the planetarium" (from One-Way Street, 1928)
+ Benjamin, "Experience and poverty" (1933)
+ Benjamin, Theologico-political fragment (1921/39?)
• Benjamin, "On the Concept of History" (AKA "Theses on the Philosophy of History") (1940) [PDF]
• Benjamin, Paralipomena to "On the Concept of History" (1940)
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
Week 30. Reflections on Marxism | May 27, 2018
• Theodor Adorno, “Reflections on Class Theory” (1942)
• Adorno, “Imaginative Excesses” (1944–47)
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
+ Adorno, Dedication, "Bequest", "Warning: Not to be Misused" and "Finale", Minima Moralia (1944–47)
+ Horkheimer and Adorno, "Discussion about Theory and Praxis" (AKA "Towards a New Manifesto?") [Deutsch] (1956)
Week 31. Theory and practice | Jun. 3, 2018
+ Adorno, “On Subject and Object” (1969)
• Adorno, “Marginalia to Theory and Praxis” (1969)
• Adorno, “Resignation” (1969)
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
+ Adorno, “Late Capitalism or Industrial Society?” (AKA “Is Marx Obsolete?”) (1968)
+ Esther Leslie, Introduction to the 1969 Adorno-Marcuse correspondence (1999)
+ Adorno and Herbert Marcuse, correspondence on the German New Left (1969)
II. Introduction to revolutionary Marxism
Santa Cruz: Thursdays 7:30–9:00 PM
University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC)
McHenry Library, Room 0359
*Location subject to change. Please consult our weekly email for updates.
• required / + recommended reading
Marx and Engels readings pp. from Robert C. Tucker, ed., Marx-Engels Reader (Norton 2nd ed., 1978)
Winter 2018
I. What is the "Left?" -- What is "Marxism?"
Week 10. What is Marxism? V. Reification | Dec. 7, 2017
• Georg Lukács, “The phenomenon of reification” (Part I of “Reification and the consciousness of the proletariat,” History and Class Consciousness, 1923)
+ Commodity form chart of terms
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
Recommended winter break preliminary readings:
+ Leszek Kolakowski, “The concept of the Left” (1968)
+ Richard Appignanesi and Oscar Zarate / A&Z, Introducing Lenin and the Russian Revolution / Lenin for Beginners (1977)
+ Sebastian Haffner, Failure of a Revolution: Germany 1918–19 (1968)
+ Tariq Ali and Phil Evans, Introducing Trotsky and Marxism / Trotsky for Beginners (1980)
+ James Joll, The Second International 1889–1914 (1966)
+ Edmund Wilson, To the Finland Station: A Study in the Writing and Acting of History (1940), Part II. Ch. (1–4,) 5–10, 12–16; Part III. Ch. 1–6
Film screenings: January 2018
• 37 Days (2014) [Episode 1] [Episode 2] [Episode 3]
• Fall of Eagles (1974) episodes: "Absolute Beginners," "The Secret War," and "End Game"
• Rosa Luxemburg (1986)
• Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States (2012) Episodes A (1900-20) and B (1920-40)
• Reds (1981)
Week 11. What is Marxism? VI. Class consciousness | Jan. 11, 2018
• Lukács, Original Preface (1922), “What is Orthodox Marxism?” (1919), “Class Consciousness” (1920), History and Class Consciousness (1923)
+ Marx, Preface to the First German Edition and Afterword to the Second German Edition (1873) of Capital (1867), pp. 294–298, 299–302
Week 12. What is Marxism? VII. Ends of philosophy | Jan. 18, 2018
• Korsch, “Marxism and philosophy” (1923)
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
+ Marx, To make the world philosophical (from Marx's dissertation, 1839–41), pp. 9–11
+ Marx, For the ruthless criticism of everything existing (letter to Arnold Ruge, September 1843), pp. 12–15
+ Marx, "Theses on Feuerbach" (1845), pp. 143–145
Winter–Spring 2018
II. Introduction to revolutionary Marxism
Week 13. Revolutionary leadership | Jan. 25, 2018
• Rosa Luxemburg, “The Crisis of German Social Democracy” Part 1 (1915)
• J. P. Nettl, “The German Social Democratic Party 1890–1914 as a Political Model” (1965)
• Cliff Slaughter, “What is Revolutionary Leadership?” (1960)
Week 14. Reform or revolution? | Feb. 1, 2018
• Luxemburg, Reform or Revolution? (1900/08)
+ Eugene Debs, "Competition versus Cooperation" (1900)
Week 15. Lenin and the vanguard party | Feb. 15, 2018
• Spartacist League, Lenin and the Vanguard Party (1978)
Week 16. What is to be done? | Feb. 8, 2018
• V. I. Lenin, What is to be Done? (1902)
+ Richard Appignanesi and Oscar Zarate / A&Z, Introducing Lenin and the Russian Revolution / Lenin for Beginners (1977)
Week 17. Mass strike and social democracy | Feb. 22, 2018
• Luxemburg, The Mass Strike, the Political Party and the Trade Unions (1906)
+ Luxemburg, "Blanquism and Social Democracy" (1906)
Week 18. Permanent revolution | Mar. 1, 2018
• Leon Trotsky, Results and Prospects (1906)
+ Tariq Ali and Phil Evans, Introducing Trotsky and Marxism / Trotsky for Beginners (1980)
Week 19. State and revolution | Mar. 8, 2018
• Lenin, The State and Revolution (1917)
Week 20. Failure of the revolution | Mar. 15, 2018
• Luxemburg, “What does the Spartacus League Want?” (1918)
• Luxemburg, “On the Spartacus Programme” (1918)
+ Luxemburg, "German Bolshevism" (AKA "The Socialisation of Society") (1918)
+ Luxemburg, “The Russian Tragedy” (1918)
+ Luxemburg, “Order Reigns in Berlin” (1919)
+ Eugene Debs, “The Day of the People” (1919)
+ Sebastian Haffner, Failure of a Revolution: Germany 1918–19 (1968)
Week 21. Mar. 22, 2018 (spring break)
Week 22-23. April 5-7, 2018 [Platypus international convention]
Week 24. Retreat after revolution | Apr. 12, 2018
• Lenin, “Left-Wing” Communism: An Infantile Disorder (1920)
+ Lenin, "Notes of a Publicist" (1922)
Week 25. Dialectic of reification | Apr. 19, 2018
• Lukács, “The Standpoint of the Proletariat” (Part III of “Reification and the Consciousness of the Proletariat,” 1923). Available in three sections from marxists.org: section 1 section 2 section 3
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
Week 26. Lessons of October | Apr. 26, 2018
• Trotsky, The Lessons of October (1924) [PDF] + Trotsky, "Stalinism and Bolshevism" (1937)
Week 27. Trotskyism | May 3, 2018
+ Trotsky, "To build communist parties and an international anew" (1933)
• Trotsky, The Death Agony of Capitalism and the Tasks of the Fourth International (1938)
+ Trotsky, "Trade unions in the epoch of imperialist decay" (1940)
+ Trotsky, Letter to James Cannon (September 12, 1939)
Week 28. The authoritarian state | May 10, 2018
• Friedrich Pollock, "State Capitalism: Its Possibilities and Limitations" (1941) (note 32 on USSR)
• Max Horkheimer, "The Authoritarian State" (1942)
Week 29. On the concept of history | May 17, 2018
• epigraphs by Louis Menand (on Edmund Wilson) and Peter Preuss (on Nietzsche) on the modern concept of history
+ Charles Baudelaire, from Fusées [Rockets] (1867)
+ Bertolt Brecht, "To posterity" (1939)
+ Walter Benjamin, "To the planetarium" (from One-Way Street, 1928)
+ Benjamin, "Experience and poverty" (1933)
+ Benjamin, Theologico-political fragment (1921/39?)
• Benjamin, "On the Concept of History" (AKA "Theses on the Philosophy of History") (1940) [PDF] • Benjamin, Paralipomena to "On the Concept of History" (1940)
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
Week 30. Reflections on Marxism | May 24, 2018
• Theodor Adorno, “Reflections on Class Theory” (1942)
• Adorno, “Imaginative Excesses” (1944–47)
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
+ Adorno, Dedication, "Bequest", "Warning: Not to be Misused" and "Finale", Minima Moralia (1944–47)
+ Horkheimer and Adorno, "Discussion about Theory and Praxis" (AKA "Towards a New Manifesto?") [Deutsch] (1956)
Week 31. Theory and practice | May 31, 2018
+ Adorno, “On Subject and Object” (1969)
• Adorno, “Marginalia to Theory and Praxis” (1969)
• Adorno, “Resignation” (1969)
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
+ Adorno, “Late Capitalism or Industrial Society?” (AKA “Is Marx Obsolete?”) (1968)
+ Esther Leslie, Introduction to the 1969 Adorno-Marcuse correspondence (1999)
+ Adorno and Herbert Marcuse, correspondence on the German New Left (1969)
Oxford: Thursdays 5.00 – 7.00 pm
Harris Manchester College, Carpenter Room (map of the college)
1 Mansfield Rd, Oxford OX1 3TD
• required / + recommended reading
Recommended winter break preliminary readings:
+ Leszek Kolakowski, “The concept of the Left” (1968)
+ Richard Appignanesi and Oscar Zarate / A&Z, “Introducing Lenin and the Russian Revolution / Lenin for Beginners” (1977)
+ Sebastian Haffner, “Failure of a Revolution: Germany 1918–19” (1968)
+ Tariq Ali and Phil Evans, “Introducing Trotsky and Marxism / Trotsky for Beginners” (1980)
+ James Joll, “The Second International 1889–1914” (1966)
+ Edmund Wilson, “To the Finland Station: A Study in the Writing and Acting of History” (1940), Part II. Ch. (1–4,) 5–10, 12–16; Part III. Ch. 1–6
Hilary Term 2018
I. Introduction to Platypus
Week 1. Capital in History | 18th January 2018
• Max Horkheimer, “The little man and the philosophy of freedom” (1926–31)
• Chris Cutrone, “The Marxist hypothesis” (2010)
• Chris Cutrone, “Class consciousness (from a Marxist persective) today” (2012)
• Chris Cutrone, “Capital in history” (2008)
• epigraphs on modern history and freedom by Louis Menand (on Marx and Engels) and Karl Marx, on “becoming” (from the Grundrisse, 1857–58)
+ Capital in history timeline and chart of terms
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) chart of terms
+ video of Communist University 2011 London presentation
Week 2. Utopia and Critique | 25th January 2018
• Leszek Kolakowski, “The concept of the Left” (1968)
• Marx, “To make the world philosophical” (from Marx's dissertation, 1839–41), pp. 9–11
• Marx, “For the ruthless criticism of everything existing” (letter to Arnold Ruge, September 1843), pp. 12–15
II. Introduction to Revolutionary Marxism
Week 3. Revolutionary leadership | 1st February 2018
• Rosa Luxemburg, “The Crisis of German Social Democracy” Part 1 (1915)
• J. P. Nettl, “The German Social Democratic Party 1890–1914 as a Political Model” (1965)
• Cliff Slaughter, “What is Revolutionary Leadership?” (1960)
Week 4. Reform or revolution? | 8th February 2018
• Luxemburg, “Reform or Revolution?” (1900/08)
+ Eugene Debs, “Competition versus Cooperation” (1900)
Week 5. Lenin and the vanguard party | 15th February 2018
• Spartacist League, “Lenin and the Vanguard Party” (1978)
Week 6. What is to be done? | 22th February 2018
• V. I. Lenin, “What is to be Done?” (1902)
+ Richard Appignanesi and Oscar Zarate / A&Z, “Introducing Lenin and the Russian Revolution / Lenin for Beginners” (1977)
Week 7. Mass strike and social democracy | 1st March 2018
• Luxemburg, “The Mass Strike, the Political Party and the Trade Unions” (1906)
+ Luxemburg, “Blanquism and Social Democracy” (1906)
Week 8. Permanent revolution | 8th March 2018
• Leon Trotsky, “Results and Prospects” (1906)
+ Tariq Ali and Phil Evans, “Introducing Trotsky and Marxism / Trotsky for Beginners” (1980)
Trinity Term 2018
Week 9. State and revolution | 26th April 2018
• Lenin, “The State and Revolution” (1917)
Week 10. Imperialism | 3rd May 2018
• Lenin, “Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism” (1916)
+ Lenin, “Socialism and War”, Ch. 1 The principles of socialism and the War of 1914–15 (1915)
Week 11. Failure of the revolution | 10th May 2018
• Luxemburg, “What does the Spartacus League Want?” (1918)
• Luxemburg, “On the Spartacus Programme” (1918)
+ Luxemburg, “German Bolshevism” (AKA “The Socialisation of Society”) (1918)
+ Luxemburg, “The Russian Tragedy” (1918)
+ Luxemburg, “Order Reigns in Berlin” (1919)
+ Eugene Debs, “The Day of the People” (1919)
+ Sebastian Haffner, “Failure of a Revolution: Germany 1918–19” (1968)
Week 12. Retreat after revolution | 17th May 2018
• Lenin, ““Left-Wing” Communism: An Infantile Disorder” (1920)
+ Lenin, “Notes of a Publicist” (1922)
Week 13. Dialectic of reification | 24th May 2018
• Lukács, “The Standpoint of the Proletariat” (Part III of “Reification and the Consciousness of the Proletariat,” 1923). Available in three sections from marxists.org: section 1 section 2 section 3
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
Week 14. Lessons of October | 31th May 2018
• Trotsky, “The Lessons of October” (1924) [PDF] + Trotsky, “Stalinism and Bolshevism” (1937)
Week 15. Trotskyism | 7th June 2018
+ Trotsky, “To build communist parties and an international anew” (1933)
• Trotsky, “The Death Agony of Capitalism and the Tasks of the Fourth International” (1938)
+ Trotsky, “Trade unions in the epoch of imperialist decay” (1940)
+ Trotsky, “Letter to James Cannon” (September 12, 1939)
Week 16. The authoritarian state | 14th June 2018
• Theodor Adorno, “Reflections on Class Theory” (1942)
• Max Horkheimer, “The Authoritarian State” (1942)
+ Friedrich Pollock, “State Capitalism: Its Possibilities and Limitations” (1941) (note 32 on USSR)
Στο τεύχος 113 του περιοδικού Ουτοπία δημοσιεύτηκε ο παρακάτω διάλογος μεταξύ του Θοδωρή Βελισσάρη και του Πέτρου Πέτκα με αφορμή το βιβλίο του τελευταίου “Δικτατορία του προλεταριάτου και Εργατικά συμβούλια: Ασύμβατες έννοιες!”. Αναδημοσιεύουμε τον διάλογο κι ένα επιπλέον σχόλιο.
Η επανάσταση ως σύμπτωμα του κεφαλαίου, Θοδωρής Βελισσάρης
Θοδωρής Βελισσάρης- 8/12/2014
Το βιβλίο «“Δικτατορία του Προλεταριάτου” και “Εργατικά Συμβούλια”: Ασύμβατες έννοιες!» αποτελεί χρήσιμη συνεισφορά στο πρόβλημα της κοινωνικής χειραφέτησης και της σχέσης, ιστορικά, της εργατικής τάξης με τις πολιτικές οργανώσεις και τη δημοκρατία εν γένει. Χρήσιμη γιατί, αφενός, αποτελεί ευσύνοπτη περίληψη των επιχειρημάτων μίας πλευράς, αυτής που θα μπορούσαμε να χαρακτηρίσουμε “αντιλενινιστική”. Αφετέρου, επειδή συζητά τα ζητήματα αυτά, όχι με ακαδημαϊκή πρόθεση, αλλά με στόχευση στην ανασυγκρότηση μίας σύγχρονης επαναστατικής πολιτικής.
Η παραπάνω επισήμανση δεν σημαίνει ότι [ . . . ]
«ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡΑ» ΠΟΛΙΤΙΚΗ ΚΑΙ ΗΘΙΚΗ…ΠΑΝΩΛΕΘΡΙΑ!
Πέτρος Πέτκας- 24/5/2015
Στην δημοσιευόμενη, πιο πάνω, κριτική του Θοδωρή Βελισσάρη (στο εξής Θ.Β), όπως και στο βιβλίο μας, γίνονται συχνές αναφορές σε προγενέστερες ιστορικές περιόδους όπως στην Μεγάλη Γαλλική Επανάσταση, στην Παρισινή Κομμούνα του 1871 και στην Οκτωβριανή Επανάσταση του 1917. Όσον αφορά, τουλάχιστον το βιβλίο μας, δεν πρόκειται για ιστορική μελέτη αλλά για μερικές σκέψεις που εδράζονται πάνω σε ιστορικά [ . . . ]
Δημοκρατία και ελευθερία: συνεχίζοντας τη συζήτηση
Θοδωρής Βελισσάρης
Θα ήθελα να ευχαριστήσω τον Πέτρο Πέτκα (Π.Π.) για την απάντησή του στη βιβλιοκριτική μου. Μερικές επισημάνσεις εκ μέρους μου:
α) Δυστυχώς δεν σχολιάστηκαν καθόλου τα βασικά σημεία της κριτικής μου, κι ας τους είχα δώσει ιδιαίτερη έμφαση, χρησιμοποιώντας με την πρόθεση αυτή ακόμα και [ . . . ]
II. Introduction to revolutionary Marxism
• required / + recommended reading
Marx and Engels readings pp. from Robert C. Tucker, ed., Marx-Engels Reader (Norton 2nd ed., 1978)
Recommended winter break preliminary readings:
+ Leszek Kolakowski, “The concept of the Left” (1968)
+ Richard Appignanesi and Oscar Zarate / A&Z, Introducing Lenin and the Russian Revolution / Lenin for Beginners (1977)
+ Sebastian Haffner, Failure of a Revolution: Germany 1918–19 (1968)
+ Tariq Ali and Phil Evans, Introducing Trotsky and Marxism / Trotsky for Beginners (1980)
+ James Joll, The Second International 1889–1914 (1966)
+ Edmund Wilson, To the Finland Station: A Study in the Writing and Acting of History (1940), Part II. Ch. (1–4,) 5–10, 12–16; Part III. Ch. 1–6
Film screenings: January 2018
• 37 Days (2014) [Episode 1] [Episode 2] [Episode 3]
• Fall of Eagles (1974) episodes: "Absolute Beginners," "The Secret War," and "End Game"
• Rosa Luxemburg (1986)
• Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States (2012) Episodes A (1900-20) and B (1920-40)
• Reds (1981)
Winter 2018
I. What is the "Left?" -- What is "Marxism?"
Week 10. What is Marxism? V. Reification | Jan. 6, 2018
• Georg Lukács, “The phenomenon of reification” (Part I of “Reification and the consciousness of the proletariat,” History and Class Consciousness, 1923)
+ Commodity form chart of terms
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
Week 11. What is Marxism? VI. Class consciousness | Jan. 13, 2018
• Lukács, Original Preface (1922), “What is Orthodox Marxism?” (1919), “Class Consciousness” (1920), History and Class Consciousness (1923)
+ Marx, Preface to the First German Edition and Afterword to the Second German Edition (1873) of Capital (1867), pp. 294–298, 299–302
Week 12. What is Marxism? VII. Ends of philosophy | Jan. 20, 2018
• Korsch, “Marxism and philosophy” (1923)
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
+ Marx, To make the world philosophical (from Marx's dissertation, 1839–41), pp. 9–11
+ Marx, For the ruthless criticism of everything existing (letter to Arnold Ruge, September 1843), pp. 12–15
+ Marx, "Theses on Feuerbach" (1845), pp. 143–145
Winter–Spring 2018
II. Introduction to revolutionary Marxism
Week 13. Revolutionary leadership | Jan. 27, 2018
• Rosa Luxemburg, “The Crisis of German Social Democracy” Part 1 (1915)
• J. P. Nettl, “The German Social Democratic Party 1890–1914 as a Political Model” (1965)
• Cliff Slaughter, “What is Revolutionary Leadership?” (1960)
Week 14. Reform or revolution? | Feb. 3, 2018
• Luxemburg, Reform or Revolution? (1900/08)
+ Eugene Debs, "Competition versus Cooperation" (1900)
Week 15. Lenin and the vanguard party | Feb. 10, 2018
• Spartacist League, Lenin and the Vanguard Party (1978)
Week 16. What is to be done? | Feb. 17, 2018
• V. I. Lenin, What is to be Done? (1902)
+ Richard Appignanesi and Oscar Zarate / A&Z, Introducing Lenin and the Russian Revolution / Lenin for Beginners (1977)
Week 17. Mass strike and social democracy | Feb. 24, 2018
• Luxemburg, The Mass Strike, the Political Party and the Trade Unions (1906)
+ Luxemburg, "Blanquism and Social Democracy" (1906)
Week 18. Permanent revolution | Mar. 3, 2018
• Leon Trotsky, Results and Prospects (1906)
+ Tariq Ali and Phil Evans, Introducing Trotsky and Marxism / Trotsky for Beginners (1980)
Week 19. State and revolution | Mar. 10, 2018
• Lenin, The State and Revolution (1917)
Week 20. Imperialism | Mar. 17, 2018
• Lenin, Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism (1916)
+ Lenin, Socialism and War Ch. 1 The principles of socialism and the War of 1914–15 (1915)
Week 21. Mar. 24, 2018 (spring break)
Week 22. Failure of the revolution | Mar. 31, 2018
• Luxemburg, “What does the Spartacus League Want?” (1918)
• Luxemburg, “On the Spartacus Programme” (1918)
+ Luxemburg, "German Bolshevism" (AKA "The Socialisation of Society") (1918)
+ Luxemburg, “The Russian Tragedy” (1918)
+ Luxemburg, “Order Reigns in Berlin” (1919)
+ Eugene Debs, “The Day of the People” (1919)
+ Sebastian Haffner, Failure of a Revolution: Germany 1918–19 (1968)
Week 23. Apr. 7, 2018 [Platypus international convention]
Week 24. Retreat after revolution | Apr. 14, 2018
• Lenin, “Left-Wing” Communism: An Infantile Disorder (1920)
+ Lenin, "Notes of a Publicist" (1922)
Week 25. Dialectic of reification | Apr. 21, 2018
• Lukács, “The Standpoint of the Proletariat” (Part III of “Reification and the Consciousness of the Proletariat,” 1923). Available in three sections from marxists.org: section 1 section 2 section 3
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
+ Commodity form chart of terms
Week 26. Lessons of October | Apr. 28, 2018
• Trotsky, The Lessons of October (1924) [PDF]
• Trotsky, "Stalinism and Bolshevism" (1937)
Week 27. Trotskyism | May 5, 2018
+ Trotsky, "To build communist parties and an international anew" (1933)
+ Trotsky, "If America should go communist" (1934)
• Trotsky, The Death Agony of Capitalism and the Tasks of the Fourth International (1938)
+ Trotsky, "Trade unions in the epoch of imperialist decay" (1940)
+ Trotsky, Letter to James Cannon (September 12, 1939)
Week 28. The authoritarian state | May 12, 2018
• Friedrich Pollock, "State Capitalism: Its Possibilities and Limitations" (1941) (note 32 on USSR)
• Max Horkheimer, "The Authoritarian State" (1942)
Week 29. On the concept of history | May 19, 2018
• epigraphs by Louis Menand (on Edmund Wilson) and Peter Preuss (on Nietzsche) on the modern concept of history
+ Charles Baudelaire, from Fusées [Rockets] (1867)
+ Bertolt Brecht, "To posterity" (1939)
+ Walter Benjamin, "To the planetarium" (from One-Way Street, 1928)
+ Benjamin, "Fire alarm" (from One-Way Street, 1928)
[JPG] [PDF]
+ Benjamin, "Experience and poverty" (1933)
+ Benjamin, Theologico-political fragment (1921/39?)
• Benjamin, "On the Concept of History" (AKA "Theses on the Philosophy of History") (1940) [PDF]
• Benjamin, Paralipomena to "On the Concept of History" (1940)
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
Week 30. Reflections on Marxism | May 26, 2018
• Theodor Adorno, “Reflections on Class Theory” (1942)
• Adorno, “Imaginative Excesses” (1944–47)
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
+ Adorno, Dedication, "Bequest", "Warning: Not to be Misused" and "Finale", Minima Moralia (1944–47)
+ Horkheimer and Adorno, "Discussion about Theory and Praxis" (AKA "Towards a New Manifesto?") [Deutsch] (1956)
Week 31. Theory and practice | Jun. 2, 2018
+ Adorno, “On Subject and Object” (1969)
• Adorno, “Marginalia to Theory and Praxis” (1969)
• Adorno, “Resignation” (1969)
+ Being and becoming (freedom in transformation) / immanent dialectical critique chart of terms
+ Adorno, “Late Capitalism or Industrial Society?” (AKA “Is Marx Obsolete?”) (1968)
+ Esther Leslie, Introduction to the 1969 Adorno-Marcuse correspondence (1999)
+ Adorno and Herbert Marcuse, correspondence on the German New Left (1969)
+ Adorno, Interview with Der Spiegel magazine (1969)
