An attempt to provide a "startup" reading list for newcomers
Because this is a common question for newcomers, I thought it made sense to write down a short list of materials that might help new and young comrades in forming their ideas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Q
Depends on what you want to read really. Some startup suggestions:
Basic Marxist programmatic thinking:
- The Communist Manifesto.
- Critique of the Gotha Program.
The Erfurt foundation:
- The Erfurt Program.
- The Class Struggle (Commentary on the Erfurt Program).
- A Critique of the Draft of the Erfurt Program.
And on a more contemporary note:
- Revolutionary Strategy (read a review here, click here if you want a more readable PDF copy or perhaps a hardcopy).
- Against Keynesian politics, a critique against the "common sense" of the contemporary far left.
About being human:
- The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State
- In what way is Engels' Origins still valid today? (If you prefer a video, click here).
- Origins of religion and the human revolution - Part 1 and Part 2.
- When all the crap began - Part 1 and Part 2.
- Reclaiming the dragon (Exploring the Eden myth).
- On matriarchy and primitive communism (video)
- Primitive communism and the matriarchal family: are they Marxist myths? (video)
- Radical Anthropology Group
On economy:
- Wage labour & Capital.
- Value, price and profit.
- The Economic Doctrines of Karl Marx (while I haven't read them yet, they are reportedly more easy to follow than Capital volume I, volume II and volume III).
- Problems with Marx's labour theory of value (video)
- The role of power and money (video)
- Where is the capitalist crisis going? (videos) Part 1 and Part 2.
On the state:
- A lecture of Werner Bonefeld on the political nature of the capitalist state (video)
- The state and revolution
On the Soviet Union:
- The Revolution Betrayed.
- What about Russia? Theories of the Soviet Union (video and discussion).
On Marxism as a science:
- Marxism and science (video)
- On democracy (video)
- Socialism: Utopian and Scientific
- My own comments about "gaining true knowledge".
While this is my own take on a "startup", I hope this is a good start and of course there is many more to learn. Always keep your mind open and question everything, because if things stay unquestioned, they become stale dogma
Basic Marxist programmatic thinking:
- The Communist Manifesto.
- Critique of the Gotha Program.
The Erfurt foundation:
- The Erfurt Program.
- The Class Struggle (Commentary on the Erfurt Program).
- A Critique of the Draft of the Erfurt Program.
And on a more contemporary note:
- Revolutionary Strategy (read a review here, click here if you want a more readable PDF copy or perhaps a hardcopy).
- Against Keynesian politics, a critique against the "common sense" of the contemporary far left.
About being human:
- The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State
- In what way is Engels' Origins still valid today? (If you prefer a video, click here).
- Origins of religion and the human revolution - Part 1 and Part 2.
- When all the crap began - Part 1 and Part 2.
- Reclaiming the dragon (Exploring the Eden myth).
- On matriarchy and primitive communism (video)
- Primitive communism and the matriarchal family: are they Marxist myths? (video)
- Radical Anthropology Group
On economy:
- Wage labour & Capital.
- Value, price and profit.
- The Economic Doctrines of Karl Marx (while I haven't read them yet, they are reportedly more easy to follow than Capital volume I, volume II and volume III).
- Problems with Marx's labour theory of value (video)
- The role of power and money (video)
- Where is the capitalist crisis going? (videos) Part 1 and Part 2.
On the state:
- A lecture of Werner Bonefeld on the political nature of the capitalist state (video)
- The state and revolution
On the Soviet Union:
- The Revolution Betrayed.
- What about Russia? Theories of the Soviet Union (video and discussion).
On Marxism as a science:
- Marxism and science (video)
- On democracy (video)
- Socialism: Utopian and Scientific
- My own comments about "gaining true knowledge".
While this is my own take on a "startup", I hope this is a good start and of course there is many more to learn. Always keep your mind open and question everything, because if things stay unquestioned, they become stale dogma
Total Comments 7
Comments
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Thanks! This looks really helpful and interesting. I actually think I'll use this list, or at least large parts of it.
I also appreciate your view on Marxism as something to discuss and question, not some set of dogmas to accept.
Thanks again!Posted 27th March 2012 at 18:34 by Zukunftsmusik 
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Awesome list.
It's too bad the html stuff is all embedded in the post because I have some new comrades who aren't members of the forum(and hence can't access this page) who would love to see this.Posted 27th March 2012 at 21:38 by Grenzer
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I've changed the setting, so they should actually be able to read this page.Quote:Originally Posted by Grenzer
Awesome list.
It's too bad the html stuff is all embedded in the post because I have some new comrades who aren't members of the forum(and hence can't access this page) who would love to see this.
Edit: Just double-checked and non-members can indeed read this blog
Alternatively, you can also refer them to the original discussion where I made the post, which has the advantage of having slightly better formatting (regarding italics).Posted 28th March 2012 at 00:02 by Q
Updated 28th March 2012 at 00:21 by Q -
Thanks, I appreciate it. This is a good list.
Posted 29th March 2012 at 00:59 by Grenzer
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Good list, comrade!Posted 30th March 2012 at 01:08 by Die Neue Zeit
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Real good list.Posted 30th March 2012 at 11:28 by Brosa Luxemburg
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This is kickass.
Posted 31st March 2012 at 05:49 by Ostrinski
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