Marxist works.

[ReVoLuTiOnArY-BrOtHeR]

Comrades, I would like to know what works you suggest me to begin a study group with friends. For example, Marx and Engels we are thinking about studying the manifesto and socialism: utopian and scientific. I am not sure what introductory work to do from Lenin. Can anyone suggest me two works from him. That's basically my question. Thank you very much comrades!

[Pirate Utopian]

The State and Revolution and Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism.

[ReVoLuTiOnArY-BrOtHeR]

The State and Revolution and Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism.

I appreciate it my brother. Thanks! :)

[fatboy]

Those 2 works mentioned above were some of his most famous contributions to the Marxist theory. And I would suggest reading What is to be done? because it elaborates on the concept of the vanguard party.

[RED DAVE]

Start with the Communist Manifesto (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/).

RED DAVE

[fatboy]

Oh and also for Marx Das Kapital is also important.

[commyrebel]

yes as red dave said start with the communist manifesto even though its mainly in line with his times its very important and it will also help you understand more of his other works another one is the eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte and the prefaces to the two writings There is also a small writing called These on Feuerbach which i particle like but i say read as much of his and Engles works

[Chambered Word]

Das Kapital is definately the most important, but the Manifesto is certainly required reading.

I thought 'The Two Souls of Socialism' by Hal Draper was good, by the way.

[bailey_187]

Lenin - Karl Marx and his teaching

Good intro to basic marxist economic concepts, historical materialism etc


Stalin - the foundations of Leninism

Fairly easy to read, so a good intro to Lenin

[Rjevan]

Oh and also for Marx Das Kapital is also important.
It definitely is but I would never recommend it to a beginner. If you and your friends aren't advanced, better save it for later, spares a lot of frustration. ;)

I'd say it's best to begin with the "Manifesto", then "Wage Labour and Capital" (nature of wage labour, capitalist economy, production and exploitation and financial crises) and maybe "Critique of the Gotha Programme" (against common misconceptions of the aims and the nature of socialism/communism and stupid phrases) but that's more additional.

Lenin: "What is to be done?" (vanguard party and general ways of organising and agitating), "The State and Revolution" (definition of the state, the socialist state, the phases of socialism/communism, differences with anarchism) and maybe "Left-Wing Communism: an Infertile Disorder" (on working in unions and parliaments, participation in elections and ultra-leftist misconceptions generally). "Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism" is without doubt one of Lenin's most important works and a must-read but it can be rather dry and maybe it's better to save it for later, too.

[which doctor]

Lenin - Karl Marx and his teaching

Good intro to basic marxist economic concepts, historical materialism etc


Stalin - the foundations of Leninism

Fairly easy to read, so a good intro to Lenin

But why not just read Marx to understand Marxism and read Lenin to understand Leninism?

[Chambered Word]

It definitely is but I would never recommend it to a beginner. If you and your friends aren't advanced, better save it for later, spares a lot of frustration. ;)


'Marx's Kapital for Beginners' is a great read actually, I found it to be quite clear. Anyone can find it on RevLeft with a quick google search. :)


But why not just read Marx to understand Marxism and read Lenin to understand Leninism?

Because then your understanding of Leninism would be tainted by Lenin's bias, so you should read what Stalin writes about Leninism instead. :rolleyes:

[x359594]

In your course of study I recommend Essential Works of Lenin edited by Henry Christman and available in an affordable edition from Dover Books. This volume contains the two Lenin works recommended by other comrades as well as other writings that you may find interesting.

Although some have recommended Capital, it's not an introductory work. Moreover, it's absolutely necessary to read and study all three volumes since Marx expands on and clarifies some the conclusions he reaches in volume I in the later volumes. For Marx The Communist Manifesto in an edition with all the prefaces is best, and my personal favorite is The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte because it has some of his best polemical writing and invective.

[scarletghoul]

The Marxist-Leninist has a great reading list for beginners, sorted by subject http://marxistleninist.wordpress.com/study-guide/

They changed it recently.. I liked the old list better, but this is still good.

[Spawn of Stalin]

Ideally you want to study Lenin's entire selected or at least essential works, both of which are easily obtainable. Alternatively you could study State and Revolution, then the first half of the History of the CPSU (Bolshevik). That would certainly provide you with a good education in the theoretical and practical aspects of Leninism.

[bailey_187]

But why not just read Marx to understand Marxism and read Lenin to understand Leninism?

Easier to read summeries of their ideas.

[bailey_187]

Comrade_Lewis, could you please point me in a direction of a summary of Lenin's ideas by Lenin? No, no such thing exists?

[Q]

We're also going to start a studygroup here and the first two topics will be "Principles of Communism" by Engels, and a discussion on the IWW. It is my personal opinion that one should not try to remain in the 19th century but grow to more modern topics and contemporary theoreticians. The point of studying theory is after all how we can give every day topics a Marxist content, not to study 19th century stuff for the sake of it. We don't study the literal texts of "The Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin either, right? Evolution theory has moved on, developed. What is important is to understand the method.