The Marxist Tradition “ Introduction” to RCP

Background Marx’s Intellectual Sources Marx’s Intellectual Sources  German Speculative Philosophy  Kant, Hegel, Feuerbach  French Socialism  Proudhon, Fourier, Saint-Simon  English Political Economy  Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Thomas Malthus

Marx’s Political Activities Communist League - Communist Manifesto Communist League - Communist Manifesto 1848 Revolutions - in Germany 1848 Revolutions - in Germany First International ( ) First International ( ) Dies in 1883 Dies in 1883

Engel’s Marxism Engels Survivied Marx Engels Survivied Marx 2nd International ( ) 2nd International ( )  Engels, Kautsky, Bernstein  Social Democracry - Revolutionary Marxism Split WWI - Russian Revolution WWI - Russian Revolution

USSR & Orthodox Marxism Success of Bolsheviks Success of Bolsheviks Undermines other revolutionaries (e.g., anarchists) Undermines other revolutionaries (e.g., anarchists) Puts power of Soviet State behind Marxism- Leninism Puts power of Soviet State behind Marxism- Leninism Marxism = theory of capitalism Marxism = theory of capitalism Leninism = theory of socialism Leninism = theory of socialism

Orthodox Marxism-Leninism Theory: Historical Materialism Theory: Historical Materialism Theory: Dialectical Materialism Theory: Dialectical Materialism Pactice: dictatorship of proletariat Pactice: dictatorship of proletariat Pactice: building state capitalism Pactice: building state capitalism

Orthodox Spin-offs Chinese Communism: Maoism Chinese Communism: Maoism 3rd World Communist Parties 3rd World Communist Parties  sometimes reform  sometimes revolution Trotskyism: 4th International Trotskyism: 4th International

“Western Marxism” Non-orthodox Non-orthodox Critical Theory Critical Theory  Georgy Luckas  Karl Korsch  Gramsci  Frankfurt School  Marcuse, Adorno, Horkheimer, Pollock

Autonomist Marxism Anarcho-communism Anarcho-communism Council Communism Council Communism Johson-Forest, Tony Cliff, Cornelius Castoriadis Johson-Forest, Tony Cliff, Cornelius Castoriadis Italian New Left -Wages for Housework Italian New Left -Wages for Housework Zerowork - Midnight Notes Zerowork - Midnight Notes

Reading Capital As political economy As political economy As philosophy As philosophy Politically Politically

Reading Capital as Political Economy Capital = work in economics Capital = work in economics Laws of Motion Laws of Motion Competition Competition Working Class as Victim Working Class as Victim Leaves politics to the Party Leaves politics to the Party Basic Problem: one-sided, working class has no effective subjectivity Basic Problem: one-sided, working class has no effective subjectivity

Reading Capital as Philosophy Capital as exercise in dialectical/historical materialism Capital as exercise in dialectical/historical materialism Neo-Hegelian Western Marxist emphasis on manipulation of consciousness via culture Neo-Hegelian Western Marxist emphasis on manipulation of consciousness via culture Althusserian revamping of historical materialism Althusserian revamping of historical materialism Basic Problem: one sided, working class has no effective subjectivity Basic Problem: one sided, working class has no effective subjectivity

Reading Capital Politically - 1 Denies split between economics & politics Denies split between economics & politics Emphasizes working class subjectivity Emphasizes working class subjectivity  within capitalist society  against against capitalist society  transcending capitalist society

Reading Capital Politically - 2 Recasts dynamic of capitalist development as dynamic of class struggle Recasts dynamic of capitalist development as dynamic of class struggle  within production  within culture (reproduction) Insists on two-sided, strategic reading of Capital and of all the elements of capitalist society Insists on two-sided, strategic reading of Capital and of all the elements of capitalist society

Example #1: Part VIII Can be read one-sidely Can be read one-sidely  as economic history, story of capital, working class victimized  as philosophy, case study of historical materialism Can be read two-sidedly Can be read two-sidedly  capital’s coming into being, imposition of its rules  people’s resistance to that imposition

Example #2: Chapter One-1 Can be read one sidedly Can be read one sidedly  as economic “value” theory, narrowly defined  as story of money (pre-K, K)  as correction of Classical labor theory of value  as example of “commodity fetishism”

Example #2: Chapter One-2 Can be read two-sidedly Can be read two-sidedly  in terms of class relations  substance (work) = core of class relationship  measure (work time) of that core  form (exchange value) = form of class relationship  so, money = embodiement of class relation  imposed and contested rules of game

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