Communist/Socialist/Marxist books originally in French?

[Zanters]

I know they must exist. What are some untranslated French books on Communism/Socialism that is almost essential to the theory?

The reason I ask, is because I am a French student wishing to improve. I know there are thinkers out there that have written in French about socialist/communist theory, but i don't know where to start. I'd like to read their thoughts how they were originally written.

[motion denied]

I would think that almost everything written by Marxists would have been translated to French.

Anyway, if you're looking for French Marxism you just might go look at Althusser, Balibar, Jacques Bidet etc.

[Noa Rodman]

Jules Guesde's writings: http://www.marxists.org/francais/guesde/index.htm and https://archive.org/search.php?query=jules%20guesde (compare with those translated (http://www.marxists.org/archive/guesde/))

The following book wasn't originally in French, but there is no English translation:
Le matérialisme historique d'après Frédéric Engels (http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006572926) by Rodolfo Mondolfo
(traduit de l'italien avec l'autorisation de l'auteur par S. Jankélévitch.)

There are also articles online by lesser known but solid left communists post war 2: http://fractioncommuniste.org/internationalisme/index.php

[Noa Rodman]

and articles from the journal Bilan (again at least those which the ICC hasn't translated already): http://www.collectif-smolny.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=32

[Brutus]

A load of Blanqui's texts are only in French. Get your hands on his Critique sociale.

[Zanters]

Thank you comrades for the recommendations! I am looking up all of them. Blanqui has caught my eye though, what is your opinion of him?

[Brutus]

Thank you comrades for the recommendations! I am looking up all of them. Blanqui has caught my eye though, what is your opinion of him?

As a person, his dedication, will to act, his unshakable radicalism and commitment to the proletariat are certainly aspirational; his ideas, however, were reflective of 1830s France (secret societies, for example) so should be discarded. I still read him, take what's good, and get rid off what's bad.

[Zanters]

Why must these "secret societies" be discarded? From a ML/Leninist view point. Not because I am neglecting Left-Com, or Council Com, etc., but because I know they are against revolutions by single parties, vanguard parties, whathaveyou.

[Remus Bleys]

Leninists aren't for "revolutions by single parties" they realize that a Revolution must contain a Vanguard and an Organized Party. The same goes for (most) Left Communists.
You should read more Marx for Secret Societies. There are times when one can only be organized "in secret" and "illegally" but that doesn't mean this is ideal or should be exalted (like past figures have done).

[Zanters]

I think there was some miscommunication. I wasn't saying that Leninist were for single party revolutions, I was saying that ML would be more sympathetic towards Blanqui than a Left-Communist due to their ideals.

And from what I have read, Left-Communist are completely against State Socialism and the Vangaurd party. Once again, from what I read.

[Brutus]

I think there was some miscommunication. I wasn't saying that Leninist were for single party revolutions, I was saying that ML would be more sympathetic towards Blanqui than a Left-Communist due to their ideals.

And from what I have read, Left-Communist are completely against State Socialism and the Vangaurd party. Once again, from what I read.

The council-communists are, but Bordigism (a left communist current) has been described as "more Leninist that Lenin". Blanqui's societies were detached from the working class, whereas the RSDLP (even whilst illegal) had roots in the proletariat, in the workplaces, and were part of the daily class struggle. That's the difference between Blanquism and Leninism.

Check out the French archive of Bordiga: http://www.marxists.org/francais/bordiga/