In Defence Of Marxism

This book is correctly regarded as one of Trotsky's finest classics. It is a product of a sharp polemic within the American Trotskyist movement during the period 1939-40. This was a dispute which touched on the very fundamentals of Marxism. It was for this reason that Trotsky himself participated in this struggle in the form of a series of articles and letters that are brought together in this volume. The issues covered concern the essence of Marxist theory and deal with such questions as: * The class nature of the Soviet state. * The defence of the Soviet Union against imperialist attack. * Bolshevik principles of organisation. * Dialectical Materialism. This book is Trotsky at his best: profound, concise and theoretically razor sharp.

A Selection of Writings on Dialectical Materialism by Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, Plekhanov, and Luxemburg, and Alan Woods. Edited by John Peterson with an Introduction by Alan Woods. On the bicentennial of his birth, Karl Marx’s ideas are more relevant than ever. While he is perhaps best known for his writings on economics and history, anyone who wishes to have a fully rounded understanding of his method must strive to master dialectical materialism, which itself resulted from an assiduous study and critique of Hegel. Dialectical materialism is the logic of motion, development, and change. By embracing contradiction instead of trying to write it out of reality, dialectics allows Marxists to approach processes as they really are, not as we would like them to be. In this way we can understand and explain the essential class interests at stake in our fight against capitalist exploitation and oppression. At every decisive turning point in history, scientific socialists must go back to basics. Marxist theory represents the synthesized experience, historical memory, and guide to action of the working class. The Revolutionary Philosophy of Marxism aims to arm the new generation of revolutionary socialists with these essential ideas.

In this epoch of instability, crisis, war and ever-growing inequality, Marxism is becoming an increasingly attractive proposition to millions of workers and young people around the world. The old mole of revolution, to use Karl Marx’s own phrase, is burrowing deep into the foundations of society. And yet we are repeatedly told that Marxism is either irrelevant, or out-dated, or even dead. Yet, if that were true, why are so many books and articles churned out year-on-year attacking Marxism? Clearly the powers that be are rattled or indeed frightened by these “dead” ideas. So what is this set of ideas that frightens them so much? Marxism – or scientific socialism – is the name given to the body of ideas first worked out by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels more than 150 years ago. In their totality, these ideas provide a fully worked-out theoretical basis for the struggle of the working class to attain a higher form of human society – socialism. This book is aimed specifically at newcomers to Marxism. A bestseller now in its second edition, it comprises introductory pieces on the three component parts of Marxist theory, corresponding broadly to philosophy, social history and economics: dialectical materialism, historical materialism and Marxist economics. Complementing these introductions are key extracts from some of the great works of Marxism written by its most outstanding figures – Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky.

Fascism, Which First Triumphed In Italy And Later In Germany And Afterwards In Many Countries As A Counter Revolutionary Mass Movement Showed Its Brutal Nature In Form Of A Bloody Dictatorship. It Proved Itself The Most Reactionary Rule Of The Bourgeoisie And Most Detrimental To The Working Class Movement. Today When The Advanced Capitalist Countries Also Facing The Economic Crisis, They Continuously Place Their Burden On The Underdeveloped Countries. As A Result Working Class And Toiling Masses Of Both Advanced And Backward Countries Face Immense Oppression. Alongside That The Fascist Movement Raises Its Head Everywhere. In India We Have Already Felt The Sound Of The Boots Of Indian Nazis And Seen The Terror Of Saffron Flag Bearers.This Pamphlet Is A Part Of Trotsky S Writings On Fascism. Trotsky, Along With Lenin, Developed The Theory Of Permanent Revolution In 1905, Later Was Expelled From Soviet Russia During Stalinist Regime. He Fought With His Marxist Analysis Within The Third International, But Defeated To The Bureaucratic Apparatus Of The Party. After The Communist Parties Under Moscow S Direction Made A Decisive Right Turn To Collaborate With Bourgeois Democracy Against Fascism And Thus Subordinated The Proletarian Struggle, Trotsky Founded The Fourth International In 1938. Trotsky S Ideas Still Presents Itself Between Latin American And European Mass Movements And In Some Cases In Asia Also.This New Edition Features An Introduction Looking An Eye On Indian Context With An Objective Of Reorienting The Programmatic Debate Within The Indian Left

Marxism has provided the ideological impetus to liberation movements, radical struggles and revolutions across the world. But in the 20th century, the emancipatory and democratic power of its thought has often been distorted and overridden by various Stalinist dictatorships which claimed to be acting in its name. A similar undermining of freedom of thought has been accomplished at an intellectual level; various schools have transformed Marxist thought in line with some of the most fashionable but gentrified forms of contemporary philosophy, shifting the focus from the democratic power of the masses and their ability to challenge the capitalist order to concentrate on superstar thinkers and elite theories. The War Against Marxism traces the war against Marxism which, paradoxically, has been conducted in the name of Marxism itself. As such it provides a fiery philosophical and polemical indictment of so-called 'Marxists' such as Adorno, Horkheimer, Althusser, Jameson, Eagleton, Mouffe, Laclau and Zizek and asks what can be done to stem this counterrevolution.

Alan Woods outlines the development of philosophy from the ancient Greeks, all the way through to Marx and Engels who brought together the best of previous thinking to produce the Marxist philosophical outlook, which looks at the real material world, not as a static immovable reality, but one that is constantly changing and moving according to laws that can be discovered. It is this method which allows Marxists to look at how things were, how they have become and how they are most likely going to be in the future, in a long process which started with the early primitive humans in their struggles for survival, through to the emergence of class societies, all as part of a process towards greater and greater knowledge of the world we live in. This long historical process eventually created the material conditions which allow for an end to class divisions and the flowering of a new society where humans will achieve true freedom, where no human will exploit another, no human will oppress another. Here we see how philosophy becomes an indispensable tool in the struggle for the revolutionary transformation of society.