Rethinking the Manifesto

In China Mieville’s book A Spectre Haunting, he notes that the communist manifesto has an almost religious function. Mieville says it’s a type of catechesis and confession that the world does not have to be as it is. The Manifesto calls people to a type of “committed fidelity” to a world where a small group of people do not disadvantage the many for the sake of profits.

In that spirit of committed fidelity not only to the Christian faith but also a communist faith, we thought we’d make some space to chat about one of the classics, the communist manifesto. We’ve done explainer episodes on the manifesto before, but we’re not doing a 101 today; we’re going to think through the question that Mieville asks: what does it mean to be a person in 2023 and be committed to the vision of the world, for better and worse, presented in the manifesto?