Libertarian Marxism

[Црвена]

I've seen this term used in all sorts of contexts. Are libertarian Marxists types of Marxists who are less statist, like council communists, or is this another tendency of anarchism that is necessarily materialist? I'm an anarchist who adheres to historical materialism, the labour theory of value and pretty much all of Marx's analyses except the one that a "workers' state," is necessary before the higher phase of communism - does that make me a libertarian Marxist?

[Ceallach_the_Witch]

as far as I know the only thing it concretely means is 'Marxists that anarchists like'

[Danielle Ni Dhighe]

It's used different ways by different people. I tend to define it as anti-authoritarian and anti-statist communism using Marxian analysis, a synthesis of the best parts of anarchism and Marxism.

[Blake's Baby]

Rousing Chorus I'd say is pretty much right. I'd go so far as to say generally it's used to mean 'Marxists that can be used to critique Lenin'. I think it was Daniel Guerin who coined the term and included Rosa Luxemburg, Pannekoek and others in his broad group.

[Sinister Intents]

It's used different ways by different people. I tend to define it as anti-authoritarian and anti-statist communism using Marxian analysis, a synthesis of the best parts of anarchism and Marxism.

Which is something I totally love the sounds of. I don't fully disagree with Marxists, and I agree a lot with Marx and Engels. I completely agree with the anarchists, minus the liberals in the tendency. For me Libertarian Marxism is the culmination of Marxist thought with anarchism, pretty much everything DND said. I'm probably more of a libertarian Marxist than an anarchist anymore, but I still call myself an anarchist communist. I'm also influenced by Leninist thought. Not to talk too much of myself. They're like the tendency in between Marxism and anarchism and can even touch Leninism like myself. So I should rather be considered a libertarian Marxist

[Ethics Gradient, Traitor For All Ages]

Marxism without the mystical dogma and anarchism without the petty moralism.

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

I'm part of a small libertarian communist organization which includes several people who would describe themselves as Marxists. We certainly make heavy use of Marx and the Marxist tradition in a lot of our theoretical discussions, presentations, etc.
If we are anything to go by, I'd say that one thing libertarian Marxists borrow from anarchists is a certain propensity for eclecticism: we all use Marx/ism, but by no means uniformly. I'd also say that we all lean pretty far to the "left" within Marxism - Lenin generally wouldn't have liked us.

[Art Vandelay]

I suppose its a title for 'Marxists' who fail to realize the libertarians-authoritarian scale, is a fasle dichotomy.

[Sinister Intents]

I suppose its a title for 'Marxists' who fail to realize the libertarians-authoritarian scale, is a fasle dichotomy.

The dichotomy only exists in so far as differences in theory and practice, like with the DotP versus direct revolution, as well as things thst don't matter which are ideological masturbation. I'd say the false dichotomy is just convenient for purposes of labels. No one knows which theory or practice is correct or incorrect, it all in theory comes across as practical. Libertarian Marxists just illustrate the people thst fit the gaps with the false dichotomy.

[Tim Cornelis]

Self-identifying libertarian Marxists = anarchists who like Marxism.
Theoreticians claimed to be libertarian Marxists by others = Marxists that anarchists like.

So I would say you don't go from anarchist to libertarian Marxist, as libertarian Marxism is really just Marxian anarchists.

—
Even as anarchist, I considered the libertarian-authoritarian distinction to be a spectrum and not a dichotomy.



Marxism without the mystical dogma and anarchism without the petty moralism.

Marxism with the petty moralism and anarchism… with something clever-ish too.

[Sinister Intents]

Spectrum makes significantly more sense than what was discussed with TheGodlessUtopian

[The Idler]

I think Danielle's definition pretty much nails it. But for authoritarian regimes claiming the mantle of Marxism, the term libertarian Marxism would be unnecessary.

[Ethics Gradient, Traitor For All Ages]

Self-identifying libertarian Marxists = anarchists who like Marxism.
Theoreticians claimed to be libertarian Marxists by others = Marxists that anarchists like.

So I would say you don't go from anarchist to libertarian Marxist, as libertarian Marxism is really just Marxian anarchists.

—
Even as anarchist, I considered the libertarian-authoritarian distinction to be a spectrum and not a dichotomy.




Marxism with the petty moralism and anarchism… with something clever-ish too.

I'm not sure if this was supposed to be a jab at something, my post was not just fyi.

[MarxSchmarx]

Aside from primmies teenage boys and maybe a handful of weird Utopian types, are the much serious anarchists who aren't by and large what one calls "Marxian" - agree with marxs diagnosis and critique of capitalism but just disagree on what to do about it at least in the transition stages. Put another way, aren't the vast majority of anarchists basically just Marxists whom disagree with the dotp - or the dotp using the state to enforce its will?

[Blake's Baby]

For the most part I'd say yes.

But one could equally say, that's the point of 'libertarian Marxism'. Marxists who don't support the 'party of the proletariat' taking power in a 'workers' state' are 'libertarian (not authoritarian) Marxists' (though quite how Rosa fits into that schema, I'm not entirely sure, because I think she did think the class party 'takes power'). So again it comes down to what exactly one means by the 'revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat'. I stopped regarding myself as an Anarchist in part because of this - because I actually started to understand what this was supposed to mean, instead of just going 'but the USSR wasn't socialist'.