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Marxist theory

Marxist theory is our sharpest weapon in the class struggle. Here, you can find our most recent theoretical articles. For historical articles, click here

You can also visit our education hub to find a selection of articles, books, talks and reading guides.

How Marx became a Marxist

How Marx became a Marxist

As young men, Marx and Engels came
out of the German philosophical tradition. They were at this time groping their
way to becoming revolutionary activists. In 1845 Marx and Engels set out their
revolutionary world view for the first time in a book, The German Ideology, that
settled accounts with the Hegelian tradition from which they had just emerged.
It points the way to the clear language of the Communist Manifesto, published in 1848 and addressed to the workers
of the world.

Commemoration of Phil Mitchinson’s 40th Birthday: Leon Trotsky on Jack London’s The Iron Heel

Commemoration of Phil Mitchinson’s 40th Birthday: Leon Trotsky on Jack London’s The Iron Heel

Today, 25th February 2008 would have been Phil Mitchinson’s 40th
Birthday. Phil who was an outstanding Marxist and a leader of the International
Marxist Tendency died tragically in November 2006. To commemorate this
anniversay we reprint a letter by Leon Trotsky to Jack London’s daughter which
gives Trotsky’s views of London’s book The Iron Heel, one of Phil’s favourite books.

Georg Lukács, the ‘Dialectics of Nature’ and the ‘free creation of history’

Georg Lukács, the ‘Dialectics of Nature’ and the ‘free creation of history’

Lukacs was an important influence on what is called ‘western Marxism’.
This was seen as a ‘humanist’ alternative to the dominant stalinist
orthodoxy of the inter-War period and later. One of Lukacs’ most
significant arguments was that (contrary to Engels) there can be no
dialectics of nature. Dan Morley examines the debate and goes into the
contradictory relationship between Lukacs’ interpretation of Marxism and
Stalinism.

Leon Sedov – 70 years since his murder

Leon Sedov – 70 years since his murder

Tomorrow marks the 70th anniversary of the murder
of Trotsky’s eldest son – Leon Sedov -by agents of the Stalinist secret police,
the GPU. He was thirty-two years of age. This crime constituted part of the
systematic hounding and murder of Trotsky’s key supporters and family, whose
only ‘crime’ was to defend genuine Marxism against Stalin and the crimes of the
Russian bureaucracy.

Andrew Glyn- Marxist economist and socialist fighter

Andrew Glyn- Marxist economist and socialist fighter

Andrew Glyn died from a brain tumour on 22 December 2007.  He was 64 years old.  A fellow of Corpus Christi College
in Oxford since
1969, he was a leading socialist economist for all that time.

Andrew left a wealth
of important writing that analysed the development of post-war capitalism. His best-known works were British capitalism, workers and the profits
squeeze with Bob Sutcliffe in 1972; Capitalism
since 1945 with Phil Armstrong and the late John Harrison in 1984 and most
recently, Capitalism Unleashed
(2006), reviewed earlier.

Socialism and Religion

Socialism and Religion

Socialist Appeal’s ongoing campaign to spread the christmas spirit today publishes Lenin, who wrote in 1905 that: "Those who toil are taught by religion to be submissive and patient while here on
earth, and to take comfort in the hope of a heavenly reward. But those who live
by the labour of others are taught by religion to practise charity while on
earth, thus offering them a very cheap way of justifying their entire existence
as exploiters and selling them at a moderate price tickets to well-being in
heaven."

Religion in the Soviet Union

Religion in the Soviet Union

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This article analyses the relationship between the Soviet state and the Russian Orthodox Church. There was a clear dividing line between Lenin’s approach to this question and the zig-zag policy later adopted by Stalin. First published in Workers International News, October 1945.

The Foundations of Christianity

The Foundations of Christianity

In the build up to Christmas, Socialist Appeal is contributing to the festive spirit by issuing some articles by Marxists  on the origins and significance of Christianity, which in its early period was a revolutionary movement of the oppressed. This article deals with the person of Christ and the historical evidence for his existence, which is taken from the first chapter of the ‘Foundations of Christianity’ by Karl Kautsky.

Christian fundamentalism – the theology and vision of Josef Ratzinger

Christian fundamentalism – the theology and vision of Josef Ratzinger

The present Pope, Ratzinger or Benedict XVI as he has chosen to
call himself, far from being a "transitional" Pope is not only following in the
footsteps of John Paul II, he is putting his foot on the accelerator of
Christian fundamentalism. While talking of reconciliation he promotes conflict,
backs reactionary politicians of the Bush type and condemns anyone who wants to
really change the material conditions of millions of poor and working class
people.

Marxism and multiculturalism

Marxism and multiculturalism

Most current debate on multiculturalism revolves
around fundamental conflicts within liberalism. The liberal hegemony has meant
that the intense and detailed debates that accompanied the evolution of Marxist
social democracy have been relegated to the historical margins. The Marxist debate starts from a very
different perspective. Its focus is not the individual, but society as a whole.
This article is a re-examination of these debates and of
their historical interpretations in order to throw a new light on issues today. 

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