Marxism 101

[shorelinetrance]

Does anyone have any good links that can explain this simply, so i can get the jist of things, everything i've read has required me to bust out my dictionary and thats very frustrating after awhile.

thanks.

[Matty_UK]

There's rather a lot to marxism, all sorts of ideas and sub-categories. It will be very difficult to explain everything briefly. Marxists.org has pretty much everything you will need, so I'll advise regularly referencing that.

http://marxists.org/subject/students/index.htm

Start there.

Is there anything specific you want to know? How would you sum up your present knowledge of Marxism?

[rouchambeau]

Yeah, it's pretty difficult reading at first. Have you read Wage Labor and Capital? That would be a great place to start.

[shorelinetrance]

No, i'm pretty bottom of the barrel right now, thanks for the linkmatty

[Janus]

Don't worry, you're not alone.

Previous help threads:
I'm lost (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=66463&hl=beginner*)
the basics (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=59130&hl=beginner*)
recommended books for starters (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=55628&hl=beginner*)
best way to study Marxism (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=64170&hl=beginner*)
Advice (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=66327&hl=starter*)


everything i've read has required me to bust out my dictionary and thats very frustrating after awhile.
We actually have an online dictionary for revolutionary leftist terms here:
Revleft dictionary (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=25786)

[which doctor]

Fredy Perlman wrote a good essay titled The Reproduction of Daily Life (http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/perlman-fredy/1969/misc/reproduction-daily-life.htm). I think it gives a good intro to Marxian economics and a critique of capitalism and existing social relations.

[BreadBros]

Hey shoreline, I just posted a response in the 'How do you maintain communism?' thread in this sub-forum. It's a response to a different question but I go through a very simple and basic (and short!) explanation of some of the ideas of Marxism. It was meant to point out the fact that Marxism is more akin to a social science than a utopian idea, and I think it might shed light on what you're looking for. Tell me if it helps or ask any further questions here!

[The-Spark]

I am a highschool student, very interested in communism, i am presently studying the communist manifesto, but im wondering what else should i be studying? What books should i read and such, please suggestions are welcome. thankyou.

[Y Chwyldro Comiwnyddol Cymraeg]

It depends...

anti-american shit go for Noam Chomsky
Lenninist-The state and revolution
Left communist- workers councils
Anarcho-syndicalist- Rudolf Rocker Anarcho Syndicalism


Just a few suggestions

[The-Spark]

thx :)

[Vargha Poralli]

MIA study guide on key works of Marx and Engels. (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/subject/guides/index.htm)

I especially recommend Principles of Communism (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/11/guide.htm) and Wage Labour and Capital (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/wage-labour/guide.htm) to complement the Communist Manifesto. They are simple and easy to understand.

As for other marxists I would recommend
Lenin
The State and Revolution (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/staterev/index.htm)

Two Tactics of Social Democracy in the Democratic Revolution (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1905/tactics/index.htm)

The rights of nations to self-determination (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1914/self-det/index.htm)

Imperialism , The highest stage of Capitalism. (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/index.htm)

Trotsky

1905 (http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1907/1905/index.htm)

The War and International (http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1914/war/index.htm)

Lessons of October (http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1924/lessons/index.htm)

Rosa Luxemburg
Reform or Revolution (http://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1900/reform-revolution/index.htm)

The National Question (http://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1909/national-question/index.htm)

Those were the works I have read and understood. And these are my recommendations.

[Rawthentic]

For materialist (communist) understanding of the state:
The State in Revolutionary Periods (http://marxists.org/archive/hekmat-mansoor/1985/11/state.htm), by Mansoor Hekmat

[The-Spark]

you are not alone man, im bottom of the barrel too, and the dictionary is my best friend lmao. But it certainly does really start to make sense after awhile.

[rouchambeau]

Wage Labor and Capital by Karl Marx is a great read if you want a short critique of the capitalist system.

Reading up on the history of labor movements and revolutions (i.e. Paris 1968, Hungary 1956, etc.) would do you much better than approaching revolution and communism from the perspective of any theorist. History before theory, always.

[The-Spark]

Thx for the help guys, i made the reading list, and i gotta lot of reading to do, so im goin to get on that, you guys helped alot!

thx again

[Janus]

Merged.

[Entrails Konfetti]

I'd recommend Introducting Marx by Rius
Then move onto the Marx and Engels reader, with that book I'd start with the Communist Manifesto, and then Socialism: Utopian and Scientific.
Socialism: Utopian and Scientific will give you a pretty good idea how Scientific Socialism developed. Then you should move onto the introduction and the Young Marx to understand how Marx's theory developed. In that section The Jewish Question is a pretty good read, becauise it critizes the bourgeois "Rights of Man". Later in the book when the splits with Anarchists in the International Working Mens Association is apparent, you should probably find Anarchist FAQs to understand what it is, and maybe read the most important works by Proudhon, Bakunin, and Kropotkin, and as mentioned by Rudolf Rocker Anarchism and Anarcho-Syndicalism.

Once you have read that you should probably start reading on the Russian Revolution and an introduction book to Lenin. And read some of the books by Lenin that were already mentioned. You don't have to agree with him, but they're good to read because it'll help you understand history of Marxism. After Lenin you should read Luxemburg, Trotsky and Stalin that way you'll understand all the splits within Marxism that are prevelant today.

And ofcourse come here to ask questions and see the debates.

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

This is about the best introduction to Marxism I've ever read:

http://www.comcen.com.au/~marcn/redflag/ar.../hmw/index.html (http://www.comcen.com.au/~marcn/redflag/archive/harman/hmw/index.html)

[Orange Juche]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_communism

[RedJacobin]

Here are a couple of good reading lists from a Maoist perspective:

http://members.aol.com/ScottH9999/studyaid/MLMstudy.htm

http://marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/...-8/mswv8_56.htm (http://marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-8/mswv8_56.htm)

There are a lot of books out there that claim to sum up Marxism, some better than others. Still, there's really no alternative to reading Marx in the original (and discussing it with others).

[tarendol]

Some advices :

Marx Myths & Legends (http://marxmyths.org/index.php)

Democracy and Dictatorship (http://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1918/russian-revolution/ch08.htm), from The Russian Revolution by Rosa Luxemburg.

Leninism or Marxism? (http://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1904/questions-rsd/index.htm)

[RedCommieBear]

If you are interested in the economic foundations of Marxism, Marx's Kapital for Beginners, David Smith & Phil Evans (http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?showtopic=45625) (available on Revleft) is great. It is not a hard read and for the most part uses everday language.