In left history, the two poles of “reform” and “revolution” are often counterpoised, and for good reason. In the book under review, the author tries to square the circle. The reviewer critically but comradely weighs the author’s successes.
Eric Hobsbawm, among the most pre-eminent and valued Marxist historians of the late twentieth century, frequently reviewed for the London Review of Books. Here, a prominent British author does a dig into some of Hobsbawm’s many signal LRB essays.
November 28, 2020 marks the bicentenary of the birth of Friedrich Engels. The German revolutionary philosopher made pathbreaking and profound contributions to modern social and political theory, playing a critical role in developing classical Marxism
Running socialist candidates for office, mobilizing social struggles from below, and building the institutional infrastructure of working class power can be mutually reinforcing
Yes, we are talking about a revolution. It is impossible to think of social change and transformation as anything other than a revolutionary process. Of course, revolution is not identical to insurrection.
As a rule, when the people are disposed to struggle, the task of socialists is to help them prepare and organize their political campaigns most carefully. (This was motivated by a discussion regarding Karl Kautsky’s political legacy.)
A paean to Marx's contemporary relevance, the author argues in an excerpt from his new book that what makes Marx a stranger even to Marxist movements is not simply the difficulty of certain key works and passages, but a series of other obstacles.
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