The global economy has been down and up like a yo-yo over the past 18 months, with production stuttering in the face of the coronavirus crisis. In this podcast, James Kilby explores why capitalism repeatedly goes into crisis. Get involved with Socialist Appeal today: https://linktr.ee/socialistappeal
The Cuban Revolution was one of the most inspiring events in history, creating the first workers' state in the Western hemisphere. In this talk, Keelan Kellegher discusses the struggle for socialism in Cuba and where it must go from here, to spread the revolution and free itself from isolation. Get involved in Socialist Appeal today: https://www.linktr.ee/socialistappeal
Extreme inequality is the defining feature of Chinese society, now officially more unequal than even the USA. In this podcast, Daniel Morley discusses the future of China under capitalism, and what the crisis of Chinese capitalism means for the world economy. Get involved with Socialist Appeal today: https://linktr.ee/SocialistAppeal
In this podcast, Rob Sewell discusses the explosive events taking place in Britain – explaining what lies in store for the labour movement, and why we must build the forces of Marxism in order to play a leading role in these titanic battles. Get involved with Socialist Appeal today: https://linktr.ee/socialistappeal
Far from saving us, capitalism is killing the planet. We need a revolution. In this talk, Joe Russell discusses the climate crisis, the so-called ‘solutions’ of the ruling class, and explain why none of these can offer a way forward. Get involved with Socialist Appeal today: https://linktr.ee/socialistappeal
In this narrated article - published in issue 34 of In Defence of Marxism, the quarterly theoretical journal of the International Marxist Tendency - Florian Keller explains how the events surrounding the Bavarian Soviet Republic represent one of the most inspiring episodes in the German Revolution of 1918-1923. In November 1918, Germany exploded into revolution. In the Spring of 1919, the working class succeeded in seizing power and declaring a Bavarian Soviet Republic. In its short, heroic life...
Watch Alan Woods' introduction to 'History of Philosophy: a Marxist Perspective' - an important new work published by Wellred Books. The text outlines how the best philosophical ideas of the past have laid the basis for the development of dialectical materialism, the philosophy of Marxism: the only set of ideas capable of explaining the real situation in society, and offering a roadmap towards a better world. Our philosophy is not simply a matter of academic interest. It is a guiding light in po...
In July of this year, Socialist Appeal was proscribed by the Labour Party NEC. This move is part and parcel of Starmer and the Labour right’s war against the left wing of the party which has been waged ever since he became leader. This decision to expel our supporters from the Labour Party is not a new idea. It is part of a long history by the right wing to eradicate Marxism and its influence from the party. Behind their attacks on us and the left of the party lie the establishment and the rulin...
Is there such a thing as good and evil? Who decides, and why? Why is there so much suffering and cruelty in our society, and how can we end this? Daniel Morley will discuss all of these questions in the final episode of the series. Want to learn more about philosophy? Pre-order your copy of Alan Woods' upcoming book 'History of Philosophy: A Marxist Perspective' today: https://www.marxist.com/hop Get involved with Socialist Appeal today! Join - https://www.socialist.net/join Donate - https://ww...
What is causation? Is the universe determined and predictable? And where does that leave humanity, with its notions of free will and moral responsibility? And how does this affect our role as revolutionaries? Want to learn more about philosophy? Pre-order your copy of Alan Woods' upcoming book 'History of Philosophy: A Marxist Perspective' today: https://www.marxist.com/hop Get involved with Socialist Appeal today! Join - https://www.socialist.net/join Donate - https://www.socialist.net/donate...
Thought is inherently about generalisation and universals. It takes us beyond the immediacy of the here and now, and links things. This contradiction - between part and whole, individual and type - is at the heart of philosophy’s deepest problems. The need to grasp reality as a complex whole, instead of as atomised, self-contained parts, is likewise one of the deepest problems for science. Want to learn more about philosophy? Pre-order your copy of Alan Woods' upcoming book 'History of Philosoph...
If we want to understand how things change, we must understand things as self-moving, rather than seeing all change as a result of external forces. But how does matter move itself? How and why does development take place in nature? Daniel Morley will answer all of these questions in this week's episode of the ABCs of Marxist philosophy. Want to learn more about philosophy? Pre-order your copy of Alan Woods' upcoming book 'History of Philosophy: A Marxist Perspective' today: https://www.marxist.c...
Jorge Martin, editor for In Defence of Marxism, appeared on Rupture Radio talking about the Cuban Revolution, the recent protests that have broken out in the country, the imperialist blockade, and the tasks facing revolutionaries. You can listen to the entire thought-provoking discussion here. This is a reposted episode from the Rupture Radio podcast in Ireland. (https://anchor.fm/ruptureradio). Both the Rupture Radio podcast and Rupture Magazine (https://rupture.ie) are produced by members of R...
Marxist logic is dialectical, not formal. That means its starting point is change and contradiction - all truths become untruths because all that exists will perish. But how do we use logic to understand change? How do things change? Want to learn more about philosophy? Pre-order your copy of Alan Woods' upcoming book 'History of Philosophy: A Marxist Perspective' today: https://www.marxist.com/hop Get involved with Socialist Appeal today! Join - https://www.socialist.net/join Donate - https://...
Logic is usually seen as a dry, boring discipline suitable only for pedants. This is because it is traditionally seen as having no relation to the real world of objects, and is instead a self-contained system of rules for thought. Marxism completely rejects this formalism and seeks to find the basis for our logic in this real world. Subscribe to the newly re-launched In Defence of Marxism theoretical magazine to learn more about the revolutionary ideas of Marxism: https://www.socialist.net/subsc...
Join Rob Sewell and Adam Booth to discuss the Labour right's plan to kick Socialist Appeal supporters out of the Labour party, and why the left must organise to fight back against this direct political attack. #FightThePurge Get involved with Socialist Appeal today! Join - https://www.socialist.net/join Donate - https://www.socialist.net/donate Subscribe - https://www.socialist.net/subscribe Follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Soundcloud: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SocialistAppe...
Are humans greedy or selfish? Do we have a soul or an essence? Is there a way that we should live, one more true than how we live now? And how does this relate to the question of knowledge and thought? Subscribe to the newly re-launched In Defence of Marxism theoretical magazine to learn more about the revolutionary ideas of Marxism: https://www.socialist.net/subscribe-idom.htm Get involved with Socialist Appeal today! Join - https://www.socialist.net/join Donate - https://www.socialist.net/don...
The question of idealism versus materialism most frequently expresses itself in the question of knowledge. Do we know anything for certain, and if so, how? And why has this question stubbornly persisted throughout the history of philosophy? Subscribe to the newly re-launched In Defence of Marxism theoretical magazine to learn more about the revolutionary ideas of Marxism: https://www.socialist.net/subscribe-idom.htm Get involved with Socialist Appeal today! Join - https://www.socialist.net/join...
There are many ways to categorise philosophy, but at the most fundamental level, all philosophies are either idealist or materialist. Marxist philosophy is fundamentally materialist, that is to say, it believes the material universe is the only universe, and that mind is a product of it. Subscribe to the newly re-launched In Defence of Marxism theoretical magazine to learn more about the revolutionary ideas of Marxism: https://www.socialist.net/subscribe-idom.htm Get involved with Socialist Appe...
In this podcast, Adam Booth discusses the demand for a universal basic income. The idea of a UBI is commonly raised in the context of increasing automation and the threat of "technological unemployment", which is making many existing workers obsolete from the point of view of the capitalist system. But, as Adam explains, UBI is not a solution to the problems facing society in relation to technology and its impact on jobs and wages - the "race against the machine". Instead, Marxists should be dem...
In this podcast, Daniel Morley discusses the idea of workers' democracy, contrasting this with the formal democracy that we have under capitalism, and explaining the ways in which the working class can take control of the wider economy. Providing historical examples, Daniel shows how the working class can take power in order to run society in the interests of the many, rather than for the profits of the few. Get involved with Socialist Appeal today! Join - https://www.socialist.net/join Donate ...
In this podcast, Ben Curry provides an in-depth history of the contrasting philosophies of idealism and materialism - two fundamental trends in philosophy, which have re-appeared in various forms throughout the history of human thought. Marxism basis itself on a materialist outlook, which understands the material world as being an objective reality, consisting of matter in motion, governed by dynamics that are knowable and discoverable. Idealism, in its different guises, asserts that ideas and t...
In this talk from 2016, Hamid Alizadeh of In Defence of Marxism discusses the history of philosophy in Ancient Greece, looking at the early developments in terms of dialectics and materialism - the foundations to the revolutionary philosophy of Marxism: dialectical materialism. Get involved with Socialist Appeal today! Join - https://www.socialist.net/join Donate - https://www.socialist.net/donate Subscribe - https://www.socialist.net/subscribe Follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Soun...
In this talk from the Revolution Festival in 2016, Ben Curry gives an overview of the historical development of scientific theories and the philosophical ideas that lie behind some of the biggest scientific revolutions in history. As Ben discusses, the latest developments and discoveries in modern science are a vindication of the Marxist philosophy of dialectical materialism. Get involved with Socialist Appeal today! Join - https://www.socialist.net/join Donate - https://www.socialist.net/donat...
The May elections were a disaster for the Labour party. But, rather than taking responsibility for this defeat, Starmer and the right have used this as an opportunity to scapegoat the left, and drag the party further to the right. In this podcast, Adam Booth argues that if we want to change the direction of Labour, we need to remove Starmer and transform the party from top to bottom, by putting grassroots members in charge, Only then can the Labour party take on the Tories and the bosses with so...
What is consciousness? How does it arise? Where do our thoughts come from? And how do the mind and the material world relate to one another? In this recording of a talk given in 2014, Daniel Morley looks at the question of consciousness from a Marxist perspective and analyses one of the most complex of phenomena in nature - thought itself. Get involved with Socialist Appeal today! Join - https://www.socialist.net/join Donate - https://www.socialist.net/donate Subscribe - https://www.socialist....
In this podcast, Daniel Morley discusses the accusations of 'fatalism' levelled at Marxism by its enemies. Ironically, it is Marx's accusers who would make human beings passive victims of fate. They say that Marxism is a 'teleological' theory, according to which all of human history is preordained. They even accuse Marxism of being a religion, with the role of God replaced by iron laws of history, leaving no role for active, conscious human beings to change history. This is, of course, a caricat...
Postmodernism is a trend in philosophy that has become mainstream, and heavily influences identity politics. But when we ask the question 'what is postmodernism?', we are often told that it is indefinable. Indeed it can be summed up as a philosophy that rejects theory, science and the idea of progress. In this podcast, Hamid Alizadeh of In Defence of Marxism explains why this philosophy is wrong and reactionary; and how the 'old' ideas of Marxism are far more relevant. Get involved with Socialis...
How do we acquire knowledge, and how reliable is it? Is there a real world beyond our senses, or is each of us an isolated atom? Can we really understand the workings of society and change it for the better? In his podcast, Alan Woods - editor of In Defence of Marxism - mounts a defence of materialism against the trends of subjective idealism, such as positivism and postmodernism, that deny the possibility of objective and scientific knowledge about the world and society.
In this podcast, Niklas Albin Svensson – editor of marxist.com – sets out a Marxist analysis of the history and nature of fascism: what it is; what it isn’t; and how the labour movement can smash fascist and far-right groups wherever they emerge. The crisis of capitalism has shaken and polarised society all over the world. While thousands of workers and youth are taking to the streets against austerity and oppression, far-right and openly fascist groups of thugs and extremists have also risen in...
