Introduction to Revolutionary Marxism (Chicago 2017)
From the Second International to the Frankfurt School
Loyola University
Tuesdays, 7-9:30 PM
6738 N Sheridan Ave
at Starbucks
School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)
Tuesdays, 6-9 PM
112 S Michigan Ave
MacLean Center, Room TBA
University of Chicago
Tuesdays, 6:30-9 PM
1116 E 59th St
Harper Memorial Library, Room 102
University of Illinois at Chicago
Tuesdays, 6-9 PM
701 S Morgan St
Stevenson Hall, Room 101
- required reading / + recommended reading
Recommended winter break preliminary readings:
+ Leszek Kolakowski, âThe concept of the Leftâ (1968)
+ Richard Appignanesi and Oscar Zarate / A&Z, Introducing Lenin and the Russian Revolution / Lenin for Beginners (1977)
+ Sebastian Haffner, Failure of a Revolution: Germany 1918â19 (1968)
+ Tariq Ali and Phil Evans, Introducing Trotsky and Marxism / Trotsky for Beginners (1980)
+ James Joll, The Second International 1889â1914 (1966)
+ Edmund Wilson, To the Finland Station: A Study in the Writing and Acting of History (1940), Part II. Ch. (1â4,) 5â10, 12â16; Part III. Ch. 1â6
Film screenings: January 2017
- 37 Days(2014)Â [Episode 1]Â [Episode 2]Â [Episode 3]
âąÂ Fall of Eagles (1974) episodes: "Absolute Beginners," "The Secret War," and "End Game"
âąÂ Rosa Luxemburg (1986)
⹠Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States (2012) Episodes A (1900-20) and B (1920-40)
âąÂ Reds (1981)
WinterâSpring 2017
- Introduction to revolutionary Marxism
Week 13. Revolutionary leadership | Jan 31, 2017
- Rosa Luxemburg, âThe Crisis of German Social Democracyâ Part 1 (1915)
- J. P. Nettl, âThe German Social Democratic Party 1890â1914 as a Political Modelâ(1965)
- Cliff Slaughter, âWhat is Revolutionary Leadership?â (1960)
Week 14. Reform or revolution? | Feb 7, 2017
- Luxemburg, Reform or Revolution?(1900/08)
Week 15. Lenin and the vanguard party | Feb 14, 2017
- Spartacist League, Lenin and the Vanguard Party(1978)
Week 16. What is to be done? | Feb 21, 2017
- V. I. Lenin, What is to be Done?(1902)
+ Richard Appignanesi and Oscar Zarate / A&Z, Introducing Lenin and the Russian Revolution /Lenin for Beginners (1977)
Week 17. Mass strike and social democracy | Feb 28, 2017
- Luxemburg, The Mass Strike, the Political Party and the Trade Unions(1906)
+ Luxemburg, "Blanquism and Social Democracy" (1906)
Week 18. Permanent revolution | Mar 7, 2017
- Leon Trotsky, Results and Prospects(1906)
+ Tariq Ali and Phil Evans, Introducing Trotsky and Marxism /Trotsky for Beginners (1980)
Week 19. State and revolution | Mar 14, 2017
- Lenin, The State and Revolution(1917)
Week 20. Imperialism | Mar 21, 2017
- Lenin, Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism(1916)
+ Lenin, Socialism and War Ch. 1 The principles of socialism and the War of 1914â15 (1915)
Week 21. Mar 28, 2017 (spring break)
Week 22. Failure of the revolution | Apr 4, 2017
- Luxemburg, âWhat does the Spartacus League Want?â(1918)
- Luxemburg, âOn the Spartacus Programmeâ (1918)
+ Luxemburg, "German Bolshevism" (AKA "The Socialisation of Society") (1918)
+ Luxemburg, âThe Russian Tragedyâ (1918)
+ Luxemburg, âOrder Reigns in Berlinâ (1919)
+ Sebastian Haffner, Failure of a Revolution: Germany 1918â19 (1968)
Week 23. March 31-April 2, 2017 [Platypus International Convention]
Week 24. Retreat after revolution | Apr 18, 2017
- Lenin, âLeft-Wingâ Communism: An Infantile Disorder(1920)
+ Lenin, "Notes of a Publicist" (1922)
Week 25. Dialectic of reification | Apr 25, 2017
- LukĂĄcs, âThe Standpoint of the Proletariatâ(Part III of âReification and the Consciousness of the Proletariat,â 1923). Available in three sections from marxists.org: section 1 section 2 section 3
Week 26. Lessons of October | May 2, 2017
- Trotsky, The Lessons of October(1924) [PDF] + Trotsky, "Stalinism and Bolshevism" (1937)
Week 27. Trotskyism | May 9, 2017
- Trotsky, The Death Agony of Capitalism and the Tasks of the Fourth International (1938)
+ Trotsky, "To build communist parties and an international anew" (1933)
+ Trotsky, "Trade unions in the epoch of imperialist decay" (1940)
+ Trotsky, Letter to James Cannon (September 12, 1939)
Week 28. The authoritarian state | May 16, 2017
- Friedrich Pollock, "State Capitalism: Its Possibilities and Limitations"(1941) (note 32 on USSR)
- Max Horkheimer, "The Authoritarian State" (1942)
Week 29. On the concept of history | May 23, 2017
- epigraphs by Louis Menand(on Edmund Wilson) and Peter Preuss(on Nietzsche) on the modern concept of history
+ Charles Baudelaire, from Fusées [Rockets] (1867)
+ Bertolt Brecht, "To posterity" (1939)
+ Walter Benjamin, "To the planetarium" (from One-Way Street, 1928)
+ Benjamin, "Experience and poverty" (1933)
+ Benjamin, Theologico-political fragment (1921/39?) - Benjamin, "On the Concept of History" (AKA "Theses on the Philosophy of History") (1940) [PDF]
- Benjamin, Paralipomena to "On the Concept of History" (1940)
Week 30. Reflections on Marxism | May 30, 2017
- Theodor Adorno, âReflections on Class Theoryâ(1942)
- Adorno, âImaginative Excessesâ(1944â47)
+ Adorno, Dedication, "Bequest", "Warning: Not to be Misused" and "Finale", Minima Moralia (1944â47)
+ Horkheimer and Adorno, "Discussion about Theory and Praxis" (AKA "Towards a New Manifesto?") [Deutsch] (1956)
Week 31. Theory and practice | Jun 7, 2017
- Adorno, âMarginalia to Theory and Praxisâ (1969)
- Adorno, âResignationâ (1969)
+ Adorno, âOn Subject and Objectâ (1969)
+ Adorno, âLate Capitalism or Industrial Society?â (AKA âIs Marx Obsolete?â) (1968)
+ Esther Leslie, Introduction to the 1969 Adorno-Marcuse correspondence (1999)
+ Adorno and Herbert Marcuse, correspondence on the German New Left (1969)