Reading group: Introduction to revolutionary Marxism

Saturdays 1–4PM

New York University (NYU)
Puck Building
295 Lafayette St. 4th floor (classroom location TBA)

• required / + recommended reading

Recommended winter break readings:

+ Edmund Wilson, To the Finland Station: A Study in the Writing and Acting of History (1940), Part II. Ch. (1–4,) 5–10, 12–16; Part III. Ch. 1–6
+ James Joll, The Second International 1889-1914 (1966)
+ Sebastian Haffner, Failure of a Revolution: Germany 1918-19 (1968)

A. Jan. 8, 2011

• Karl Marx, For the ruthless criticism of everything existing (1843)
• Marx, selections from Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts (1844)
• Marx and Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party (1848)
+ Chris Cutrone, “Capital in History” (2008)

B. Jan. 15, 2011

• Georg Lukács, “The Phenomenon of Reification” (Part I of “Reification and the Consciousness of the Proletariat,” History and Class Consciousness, 1923)

C. Jan. 22, 2011

• Lukács, “Preface” (1922) , “What is Orthodox Marxism?” (1919) , “Class Consciousness” (1920), History and Class Consciousness (1923)

Week 1. Jan. 29, 2011

• Cliff Slaughter, “What is Revolutionary Leadership?” (1960)
• Rosa Luxemburg, “The Crisis of German Social Democracy” Part 1 (1915)

Week 2. Feb. 5, 2011

• J. P. Nettl, “The German Social Democratic Party 1890-1914 as a Political Model” (1965)
+ James Joll, The Second International 1889-1914 (1966)

Week 3. Feb. 12, 2011

• Luxemburg, Reform or Revolution? (1900/08)

Week 4. Feb. 19, 2011

• V. I. Lenin, What is to be Done? (1902)

Week 5. Feb. 26, 2011

• Spartacist League, Lenin and the Vanguard Party (1978)
+ Richard Appignanesi and Oscar Zarate / A&Z, Introducing Lenin and the Russian Revolution / Lenin for Beginners (1977)

Week 6. Mar. 5, 2011

• Leon Trotsky, Results and Prospects (1906)
+ Tariq Ali and Phil Evans, Introducing Trotsky and Marxism / Trotsky for Beginners (1980)

Week 7. Mar. 12, 2011 (SAIC and NYU only) / (UChicago Reading Period)

• Luxemburg, The Mass Strike, the Political Party and the Trade Unions (1906)

Week 8. Mar. 19 (SAIC) / Mar. 26, 2011 (NYU) / (UChicago Spring Break)

• Lenin, Socialism and War Ch. 1 The principles of socialism and the War of 1914–15 (1915)
• Lenin, Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism (1916)
+ Karl Kautsky, “Ultra-Imperialism” (1914)

Week 9. Apr. 2, 2011

• Lenin, The State and Revolution (1917)

Week 10. Apr. 9, 2011

• Luxemburg, “What does the Spartacus League Want?” (1918)
• Luxemburg, “On the Spartacus Programme” (1918)
+ Luxemburg, “German Bolshevism” (AKA “The Socialisation of Society”) (1918)
+ Sebastian Haffner, Failure of a Revolution: Germany 1918-19 (1968)

UPDATES:

Week 11. Apr. 16, 2011

• Lukács, “The Standpoint of the Proletariat” (Part III of “Reification and the Consciousness of the Proletariat,” 1923). Available in three sections from marxists.org: section 1 section 2 section 3

Week 12. Apr. 23, 2011

• Trotsky, The Lessons of October (1924) [PDF]
+ Luxemburg, “The Russian Tragedy” (1918), “Order Reigns in Berlin” (1919)

NOT MEETING ON APRIL 30 DUE TO PLATYPUS INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION:

Week 13. May 7, 2011

• Trotsky, The Death Agony of Capitalism and the Tasks of the Fourth International (AKA “The Transitional Program”) (1938) [PDF]

Week 14. May 14, 2011

• Adorno, “Reflections on Class Theory” (1942)

Week 15. May 21, 2011

• Adorno, “Marginalia to Theory and Praxis” and “Resignation” (1969)
+ Adorno and Herbert Marcuse, correspondence on the German New Left (1969)
+ Esther Leslie, Introduction to the 1969 Adorno-Marcuse correspondence (1999)
+ Adorno, “Late Capitalism or Industrial Society?” (AKA “Is Marx Obsolete?”) (1968)