The theoretical struggle is a key component of the class struggle. Without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement. Capitalism is facing the deepest crisis in its history. The ruling class can offer no real way forward for the vast majority of people.
The In Defence of Marxism magazine – produced by the Revolutionary Communist International – is a tool and a weapon for revolutionary class fighters all over the world, offering serious Marxist analysis on theoretical questions and burning issues of the workers’ movement.
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A brand new year means a brand new In Defence of Marxism magazine! Issue #48 is an edition packed with articles all themed around progress, science, and revolution.
To start us off, in Alan Woods’ editorial he tackles a central question for anyone interested in scientific discovery: what is truth? Does it exist? Is it relative, or absolute? And what does this mean for Marxists?
The history of science is that of humanity’s quest to understand the workings of the universe, free from mysticism and supernatural forces. In the first article of this issue, Adam Booth explores the revolutionary process by which scientific ideas advance, the link between developments in science and wider society, and the crisis of science under capitalism today.
Next up is a response to physicist Carlo Rovelli’s book Helgoland, in which Rovelli introduces his own new interpretation of quantum mechanics, coupled with an attack on Lenin. As Ben Curry explains, Rovelli attacks Lenin’s materialism because he himself is abandoning materialism. While he is attempting to answer Lenin, it turns out that Lenin long ago answered Rovelli’s own philosophical errors.
Following this, Josh Holroyd explores some of the themes of Goethe’s epic play and Faust, drawing out what this dialectical masterpiece can teach us about human nature, the struggle for knowledge, and the relationship between good and evil.
And to close this issue of In Defence of Marxism, Daniel Morley and Parson Young take up Mao’s famous essay On Contradiction, giving an overview of its key ideas, how they correspond with the actual dynamics of the Chinese Revolution, and whether or not they are an accurate explanation of the Marxist dialectical method.
Please note: We only deliver print editions of the magazine to UK residents. Non-UK residents should head to the In Defence of Marxism website.
