Endnotes 4: Unity in Separation

by Endnotes Collective

Genres: Politics, Philosophy, Journal

302 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2015

Reviews

[Rohit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic collection of fresh and insightful and thought-provoking Marxist political philosophy, that makes a decisive break with old traditions and orthodoxies. Each essay is great, and weaves in between contemporary observations, historical analysis, and theoretical frameworks. The specific focus areas are fascinating, too, ranging from Black Lives Matter to riots in Bosnia to the 20th-century European workers' movements. However these aren't necessarily easy reads, and probably requires a certain level of experience with Marxist theory and jargon.

[sube · Rating 4 out of 5]

The major essay of the book ("A History of Separation") stakes out the rise and demise of an 'affirmable workers' identity', i.e. the generalisation of an identity around the european/white, male semi-skilled proletariat, which was the basis of the workers' movement and around which the demands of which it wasp resented, as well its demise due (1) to external restraints (never universalising, i.e. becoming the majority of population) nor (2) internal limits (only a portion identifying with the class identity as primary over other identities). The present, even if it is the generalisation of proletariat lacks such a subject & is likely impossible to be reproduced atm.

The essay on abjection stakes out Endnotes' analysis of the growth of surplus population as not meaning a new revolutionary subject, but lack of it due to heterogenity of it - furthering it via concept of abjects (those cast off from wider working class, facing repression...). The article on housing is interesting but my ignorance of the topic made me only semi-interested in it - but the resolution of the collapse of workers' movement via disorganization geographically in form of suburbs in US was interesting. The last two articles discuss the 2014 protest mvmt in Bosnia & Ferguson and are interesting in showing limits of it as well as what they meant.

[Redpoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird. Every sentence seemed significant, every paragraph and every chapter the same. However, it’s not clear exactly what point the whole thing is trying to make or what we are to do with it.

I liked it...I liked that the authors give no one and no ideology some god like status. They actually look at the real history of the real world...and go from there (correctly or not)

[Taneli Viitahuhta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just read "A History of Separation, The Construction of the Workers' Movement", and it is by far the best exposition on the subject I have come across. I'm interested to delve deeper into the construction of the image of worker.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The multi-part essay "A History of Separation" steals the show despite its length, and well represents the Endnotes perspective. It's worth reading even if you don't have time for the rest.

[Uriah Todoroff]

"meh."