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Reading other than Marx
I first became a socialist/ anarchist/ communist (to me they all mean the same thing) three years ago and since then I have only read Marx, which took me quite a while due to all the note making and rereading I had to do.
I went to my university's library and found a section of leftist books. My word there were so many I didn't know where to start. surprisingly, and quite pleasingly, the conservative section was miniscule compared to the leftist ones.
I need recommendations on some reading that is essential, or very helpful, for any leftist.
Any recommendations are much obliged. Many thanks in advance!
Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Rosa Luxemburg, Anton Pannekeok, Daniel De Leon, Mikhail Bakunin, Peter Kropotkin, Emma Goldman, Errico Malatesta, Rudolf Rocker, Noam Chomsky.
Their work really influenced me.
"A consistent libertarian must oppose private ownership of the means of production and wage slavery, which as a component of [right-wing libertarianism], is incompatible with the principle that labor must be freely undertaken and under the control of the producer." - Noam Chomsky"The masses are the decisive element, they are the rock on which the final victory of the revolution will be built." - Rosa Luxemburg
"When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called 'the People's Stick.'" - Mikhail Bakunin
"Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our people have guns, why would we let them have ideas?" - bourgeois revolutionary Joseph Stalin
An Anarchist FAQ - Libertarian Socialism/Communism
Since you consider yourself an anarchist and have already, I think you may enjoy reading Bakunin's texts where he disagrees with Marx. The two didn't hate each other and agreed on a lot of things, but in terms of subjects like the state, there was a pretty big debate between the two and they had somewhat of an intellectual feud. You might find it interesting to hear both sides of that debate is what I'm saying, especially since you're an anarchist and it'd involve reading texts from one of the most influential anarchists.
FKA Chomsssssssky, Skwisgaar, The Employer Destroyer, skybutton
I’ve always enjoyed reading Gramsci or Žižek, if you’re interested in anti-imperialism I would recommend Chomsky though. Also take a look on Marxist.org, there’s a lot of leftist literature on there.
Last edited by Dialectical Wizard; 5th February 2014 at 20:13.
An absolutely excellent introduction to Marxist critique as it relates to contemporary capitalism is David Harvey's The Enigma of Capital (Profile Books, 2010). Harvey has a very accessible writing style so it's a breeze to get through. A bit heavier in places but a great reference is Alex Callinicos's The Resources of Critique (Polity, 2006). While Harvey's book assumes no prior knowledge of Marxist/Leftist theory Callinicos's book is aimed at those who already have some basic familiarity with the theory and philosophy - but still very much worth the effort.
I'd also highly recommend anything by Harry Shutt; check out his books Beyond the Profits System (Zed Books, 2010) and The Trouble with Capitalism (Zed Books, 1998).
Capitalism? Capitalism is a social and economic system in which the earth, its resources and the productive forces dependent upon them, are coercively monopolised by the capitalist class for their maximised benefit, facilitating the alienation and exploitation of everyone else who must work for the owning class or suffer the consequences.
We should read the conservatives too. If we don't know the enemy, how are we supposed to fight it? (such a cliche, but still...)
"We have seen: a social revolution possesses a total point of view because – even if it is confined to only one factory district – it represents a protest by man against a dehumanized life" - Marx
"But to push ahead to the victory of socialism we need a strong, activist, educated proletariat, and masses whose power lies in intellectual culture as well as numbers." - Luxemburg
fka the greatest Czech player of all time, aka Pavel Nedved
Why not Bakunin?
Come little children, I'll take thee away, into a land of enchantment, come little children, the times come to play, here in my garden of magic.
"I'm tired of this "isn't humanity neat," bullshit. We're a virus with shoes."-Bill Hicks.
I feel the Bern and I need penicillin
As someone whose fairly new to seriously studying socialist/leftist ideas I don't really feel qualified to know what is 'essential' but I can recommend some books that were easy to read and that I particularly enjoyed or have read recently. I'm not sure myself what my 'tendency' is yet or if I even have one so I'm just reading my way around the left in an unstructured meandering fashion.
Socialism - A very short introduction by Michael Newman
Anarchism and other essays by Emma Goldman
Che Guevara: A revolutionary life by John Lee Anderson
Anarchism - A collection of Revolutionary writings by Peter Kropotkin
Wow nobody has mentioned Lenin or Trotsky? Lenin's State and Revolution is a must(if you want). Trotsky's History of the Russian Revolution was the only other book written by a commie in my public library(after having the Manifesto) so it was my second read. I still go back to read it once in a while and I'm not even a Trotskyist, it's just really a good book.
We claim to live and die equal, the way we were born: we want this real equality or death; that’s what we need.
And we’ll have this real equality, at whatever price. Unhappy will be those who stand between it and us! Unhappy will be those who resist a wish so firmly expressed.
The French Revolution was nothing but a precursor of another revolution, one that will be bigger, more solemn, and which will be the last.
-Gracchus Babeuf
Kropotkin's writings on Anarchism are always a good read. In fact, I'd argue that of all the late 19th/early 20th century socialist writers, he's the most readable of the bunch. His writing style is a bit more....what's the word.....'casual'? It's very easy to read, is what I'm saying.
Also, Lenin's "The State and Revolution" is indeed a must-read. Even if Lenin didn't neccessarily follow through with it, it does show exactly where Lenin was coming from and what he actually wanted to accomplish (material conditions not withstanding).
"I've never read Marx's Capital, but I've got the marks of capital all over my body." -Big Bill Haywood
"...Experience declares that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no milder term to the governments of Europe, and to the general prey of the rich on the poor."- Thomas Jefferson
-=UTOPIA IS THE MORAL RIGHT OF HUMANITY=-
I recommend Kropotkin's The Conquest of Bread.
The Junius Pamphlet by Luxemburg was also a nice read, if you're into that.
Hi I am a student studying in a leftist discipline in university and the books I read are not as orthodox as many posters here. I read a lot work on cultural analysis since I am in the discipline of Cultural Studies. So I think I can suggest some books about culture to you. Theories I often come across are from the philosophical tradition of continental europe (and some humanities scholars from anglo-saxon countries) These are the theorists that inspire me:
Marxists:
David Harvey:"Conditions of Postmodernity",his concepts of time-space compression and turnover time of capital are helpful and stick to Marx. His other books purely on economics are helpful too)
Fredric Jameson: "The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism", analysing post-modern culture in a Marxist way
Terry Eagleton: "Introduction to Literary Theory", reduce arts to ideologies using contemporary literary theories without recoursing to Marxism.
Non-Marxists but influenced by Marx:
Roland Barthes: "Mythologies", analysing the ideologies of advertisements in semiotic way
Michel Foucault: "Discipline and Punish", "A History of Sexuality", "Archaeology and Knowledge", "Technologies of the Self" analysis of contemporary western capitalist democracy together with philosophical insights on the discontinuity of history, power/knowledge and ethical concerns of "care of the self"
Hope these leftist works can help apart from those more orthodox Marxist works especially if you have familiar with french and german thoughts.
I started reading Peter Kropotkin recently. "The conquest of bread" and "Anarchist morality". Both are very good books well worth a read.
Also "The abc of anarchism" by alexander berkman is well worth a look at to.
You can get these for free on pdf
"Of all the politicians and political people with whom I have had conversations, and whom I have had conversations, and who called themselves followers of Connolly, he was the only one who truly understood what James Connolly meant when he spoke of his vision of the freedom of the Irish people."
- Nora Connolly, daughter of James Connolly, speaking of Seamus Costello shortly after his assassination
Here are some Marxist Iv read and helped influence me. You can finding writings by all of the names below online. All of them are worth a read.
Lenin, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Frantz Fanon, Chairman Gonzalo, Paulo Friere, James Connolly, Ta Power, Ho Chi Minh, General Giap, Enver Hoxha, Alain Badiou, Salvador Allende
Last edited by boiler; 13th February 2014 at 16:27.
"Of all the politicians and political people with whom I have had conversations, and whom I have had conversations, and who called themselves followers of Connolly, he was the only one who truly understood what James Connolly meant when he spoke of his vision of the freedom of the Irish people."
- Nora Connolly, daughter of James Connolly, speaking of Seamus Costello shortly after his assassination
Give (auto-) biographies and books on revolutionary historie a try to, I learned a lot more about revolutionary leftism through them than I ever did through theoretical works.
Emma Goldman's "living my life" would be my first suggestion.
The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. What matter where, if I be still the same, And what I should be, all but less than he Whom thunder hath made greater?
Here at least We shall be free
The USSR the velvet counter revolution by Ludo Martins
Another view of Stalin by Ludo Martins
Marx's General by Tristram Hunt
Cuba a new history by Richard Gott
They shall not pass by Dolores Ibarruri
Fidel Castro My Life
Karl Marx by Francis Wheen
The Battle for China's Past by Mobo Gao
From Marx to Mao by George Thomson
Red Star Over China by Edgar Snow
Ho Chi Minh A Life by William J. Duiker
"Of all the politicians and political people with whom I have had conversations, and whom I have had conversations, and who called themselves followers of Connolly, he was the only one who truly understood what James Connolly meant when he spoke of his vision of the freedom of the Irish people."
- Nora Connolly, daughter of James Connolly, speaking of Seamus Costello shortly after his assassination
Read everything you can. The works of Ho Chi Minh, Mao, Stalin, Kropotkin, Berkman, Luxemberg, Bordiga, Stirner, etc, the list goes on.
Literally everything. Read everything everyone suggests and then examine the history of class struggle (re history!) and come to your own conclusions about these works.
