Class power, anarchism and authoritarianism

Introduced by activist and regular contributor to the theoretical journal Marxist Left Review, Jordan Humphreys.

While recent debates on the international left have focused on the revival of neoreformist politics, for those for whom the parliamentary road to socialism is anathema, various trends of Anarchist politics hold a radical appeal. This talk will look at the weaknesses of Anarchism, Libertarian Communism and Autonomism in the face of the vital task of building a radical alterative to reformism. In particular it will explore questions of class power, insurrection and revolutionary strategy in Anarchist theory and history.

Readings

* Anarchism: A Marxist Criticism, John Molyneux

* Marxism and anarchism, Paul Blackledge, International Socialism Journal

https://isj.org.uk/marxism-and-anarchism/

* A debate in the ISJ about Blackledge’s article:

https://isj.org.uk/revolutionary-anarchism-and-historical-marxism/

https://isj.org.uk/anarchism-syndicalism-and-strategy-a-reply-to-lucien-van-der-walt/

* The ROAR website, in particular the ""Autonomy & Authority"" section

https://roarmag.org/categories/autonomy-anti-capitalism/

Some anarchist, libertarian communist and autonomist texts that will be discussed:

Peter Kropotkin’s Conquest of Bread

http://www.revoltlib.com/anarchism/the-conquest-of-bread/view.php

Yavor Tarinski’s Direct Democracy: Context, Society, Individuality

Paul Mattick’s Anti-Bolshevik communism

https://libcom.org/library/anti-bolshevik-communism-paul-mattick