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ما هو التراث الماركسي الحقيقي؟
The years since Karl Marx’s death have seen the emergence of movements, organizations and governments declaring themselves to be “Marxist.” How can we make sense of this development? This short book is an attempt to untangle these “Marxisms,” to establish criteria for evaluating claims to stand within the Marxist tradition.
30 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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457 people want to read
About the author
John Molyneux
29 books8 followersMolyneux joined the International Socialists in Britain in 1968 after being radicalized by the antiwar movement and the revolt of that year. He became one of the Socialist Worker's Party's leading theorists and a popular speaker. He was a lecturer at the School of Art, Design, and Media, University of Portsmouth, from 1992.
During his years in Portsmouth, he was a significant influence in the city left as well as a lecturer at the polytechnic university there. He organized a number of demonstrations, including getting 12 coaches of people to the 2003 demonstration against the Iraq War, in London. In January 2009 he was arrested for organizing a peace rally of 400 people against the Israeli attacks on Gaza.
His book Marxism and the Party (1978), analyzes the revolutionary left approach to the political party and the question of the revolutionary organization. and the discussion of Marx, Luxemburg, Lenin, Trotsky, and Gramsci. In 1981 he published Leon Trotsky’s Theory of Revolution (1981), which critically explored Trotsky’s weaknesses and strengths. What is the Real Marxist Tradition? (1983/85) started life as a long article and was later published as a short book and is perhaps his most widely read publication.
He wrote a weekly column, “The ABCs of Marxism,” published in Socialist Worker (UK) for almost 15 years some of which were collected into a book Arguments for Revolutionary Socialism (1987) and a pamphlet on The Future Socialist Society (1987).
After he moved to Ireland he edited the Irish Marxist Review and contributed to many issues.
In 2006, he set up a blog where he "writes mainly about Marxist theory and art". He remained fascinated by this issue. His book The Point Is to Change It! was included in a display at the Tate Liverpool's exhibition Art turning Left (2013) showing the role that art plays in changing society.
In October 2020, he hosted the podcast Introduction to Marx/Marxism, which was described as "a series of short introductions to the ideas of Marx/Marxism".
In his last years, Molyneux also became involved in building an eco-socialist response to the climate crisis. He was one of the founders of the Global Ecosocialist Network.
He once wrote an article in the SWP's Internal Bulletin called "Democracy in the SWP", which argued that, though the SWP is democratic, it needs to be more so, prompting the Weekly Worker, the organ of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee) to call him a "loyal rebel". Molyneux remained a member of the loyal opposition in the SWP staying with the organization in 2012-13 when the SWP faced a major crisis in the wake of an accusation of rape against a leading member.
- Wikipedia
During his years in Portsmouth, he was a significant influence in the city left as well as a lecturer at the polytechnic university there. He organized a number of demonstrations, including getting 12 coaches of people to the 2003 demonstration against the Iraq War, in London. In January 2009 he was arrested for organizing a peace rally of 400 people against the Israeli attacks on Gaza.
His book Marxism and the Party (1978), analyzes the revolutionary left approach to the political party and the question of the revolutionary organization. and the discussion of Marx, Luxemburg, Lenin, Trotsky, and Gramsci. In 1981 he published Leon Trotsky’s Theory of Revolution (1981), which critically explored Trotsky’s weaknesses and strengths. What is the Real Marxist Tradition? (1983/85) started life as a long article and was later published as a short book and is perhaps his most widely read publication.
He wrote a weekly column, “The ABCs of Marxism,” published in Socialist Worker (UK) for almost 15 years some of which were collected into a book Arguments for Revolutionary Socialism (1987) and a pamphlet on The Future Socialist Society (1987).
After he moved to Ireland he edited the Irish Marxist Review and contributed to many issues.
In 2006, he set up a blog where he "writes mainly about Marxist theory and art". He remained fascinated by this issue. His book The Point Is to Change It! was included in a display at the Tate Liverpool's exhibition Art turning Left (2013) showing the role that art plays in changing society.
In October 2020, he hosted the podcast Introduction to Marx/Marxism, which was described as "a series of short introductions to the ideas of Marx/Marxism".
In his last years, Molyneux also became involved in building an eco-socialist response to the climate crisis. He was one of the founders of the Global Ecosocialist Network.
He once wrote an article in the SWP's Internal Bulletin called "Democracy in the SWP", which argued that, though the SWP is democratic, it needs to be more so, prompting the Weekly Worker, the organ of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee) to call him a "loyal rebel". Molyneux remained a member of the loyal opposition in the SWP staying with the organization in 2012-13 when the SWP faced a major crisis in the wake of an accusation of rape against a leading member.
- Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 25, 2017
What if the real Marxist tradition was the friends we made along the way?
July 10, 2025
A really remarkable polemic of just a few dozen pages that rescues Marxism as the theory of revolution from below: the "self emancipation of the working class".
December 31, 2012
كُتيّب جيّد للغاية و مفيد جداً لمن اختلطت على ذهنه الشُبهات و التضليلات الكثيرة و العديدة حول ( الاشتراكيّة ، الماركسيّة ، النُظم الشموليّة التى التحــَفـَت بالرداء الاشتراكى أو الماركسى )
..
..
يبدأ الكاتب و يُنهى كُتيّبه بتعريف و تحديد تعريفاً للماركسية ( النظريّة ) و ببيان تراثها من كتابات و نظريّات و ممارسات ثوريّة ماركسيّة حقيقيّة .
... و يتعرّض الكاتب ببعض التفصيل إلى أهم التحريفات و التشويهات التى طرأت على النظريّة الماركسية ( الأم ) و هى :
1- الاشتراكيّة الديمقراطيّة ( الكاوتسكيّة )
2- الماركسيّة الستالينييّة ( رأسماليّة الدولة )
3 وطنيّة العالم الثالث ( تجارب التحرر الوطنى فى العالم الثالث )
... أنصح كُلّ من يُريد الإنصاف و الموضوعيّة بأن يقرأ مثل هذا الكُتيّب الرائع
..
..
يبدأ الكاتب و يُنهى كُتيّبه بتعريف و تحديد تعريفاً للماركسية ( النظريّة ) و ببيان تراثها من كتابات و نظريّات و ممارسات ثوريّة ماركسيّة حقيقيّة .
... و يتعرّض الكاتب ببعض التفصيل إلى أهم التحريفات و التشويهات التى طرأت على النظريّة الماركسية ( الأم ) و هى :
1- الاشتراكيّة الديمقراطيّة ( الكاوتسكيّة )
2- الماركسيّة الستالينييّة ( رأسماليّة الدولة )
3 وطنيّة العالم الثالث ( تجارب التحرر الوطنى فى العالم الثالث )
... أنصح كُلّ من يُريد الإنصاف و الموضوعيّة بأن يقرأ مثل هذا الكُتيّب الرائع
October 25, 2023
An interesting overview of Marxist thought in the 20th Century.
The chapters on Stalinism and National Independence movements are well worth reading. Molyneux argues that Stalinism is not a form of Marxism but rather an ideology designed to support the Bureaucracy in its role of the ruling class of a State Capitalist society. The Bolshevik Party having lost its footing in the working class after the Civil War in the post October Revolution era became the party not of the people but the bureaucrats.
Maoism is dismissed as Marxist because it had no roots in the working class but the peasants, a class not interested in establishing a socialist society but securing property for itself. The Maoists see themselves as superior to the peasants rather than needing to stand with and be guided by the proletariat. As a party rooted in the peasantry the CCP will be never be able to contact a socialist society let alone a communist one.
The author was a member of the British Socialist Workers Party so in the end unsurprisingly he identified the true Marxist tradition as that of Trotskyism.
The chapters on Stalinism and National Independence movements are well worth reading. Molyneux argues that Stalinism is not a form of Marxism but rather an ideology designed to support the Bureaucracy in its role of the ruling class of a State Capitalist society. The Bolshevik Party having lost its footing in the working class after the Civil War in the post October Revolution era became the party not of the people but the bureaucrats.
Maoism is dismissed as Marxist because it had no roots in the working class but the peasants, a class not interested in establishing a socialist society but securing property for itself. The Maoists see themselves as superior to the peasants rather than needing to stand with and be guided by the proletariat. As a party rooted in the peasantry the CCP will be never be able to contact a socialist society let alone a communist one.
The author was a member of the British Socialist Workers Party so in the end unsurprisingly he identified the true Marxist tradition as that of Trotskyism.
January 6, 2015
عند قراءة الماركسية، تواجه صعوبة في تحديد ما قاله الرفيق ماركس و ما قد قيل عنه، لذلك يقول الكاتب بأن الستالينية و الكاوستكية و الماوية حرفت الخط الماركسي اللينيني عن مساره الصحيح.
عند التعريف ماهو التراث الماركسي الحقيقي، يقول مالينيو هي ليست فقط العودة لكتابات ماركس و انجلز و الا لأصبحت الماركسية ديناً يدان به، كما فعل ستالين عليه اللعنه و سوء العذاب. و لذا الماركسية على حد تعبير مولينيو هي جزء من ماركس و انجلز و لينين و تروتسكي و من على منهجهم في الانطلاق من النظرة البروليتارية لا البرجوازية و مشتقاتها.
الكتيب حلو في عرضه و نقده وتحديده للماركسية اللينينيه التروتسكية
عند التعريف ماهو التراث الماركسي الحقيقي، يقول مالينيو هي ليست فقط العودة لكتابات ماركس و انجلز و الا لأصبحت الماركسية ديناً يدان به، كما فعل ستالين عليه اللعنه و سوء العذاب. و لذا الماركسية على حد تعبير مولينيو هي جزء من ماركس و انجلز و لينين و تروتسكي و من على منهجهم في الانطلاق من النظرة البروليتارية لا البرجوازية و مشتقاتها.
الكتيب حلو في عرضه و نقده وتحديده للماركسية اللينينيه التروتسكية
September 15, 2012
يحاول المؤلف تجميل صوره الماركسيه با القول ان
الستالينيه والكاوتسكيه والحركات الماركسيه فى دول العالم الثالث
ليست هى التطبيق الحقيقى للماركسيه وانها تخلت عن كثير من مبادئ الماركسيه
الستالينيه والكاوتسكيه والحركات الماركسيه فى دول العالم الثالث
ليست هى التطبيق الحقيقى للماركسيه وانها تخلت عن كثير من مبادئ الماركسيه
November 16, 2021
This book is one of the more approachable, "one stop shops" insofar as the Trotskyist analysis of other "Marxisms." Emphasis on Trotskyist. This book presents an argument under the assumption that the reader is already a Trotskyist, or Trotskyist adjacent. It is not a book that a non-Trotskyist would read and nod along with. This is a propaganda piece intended to give Trotskyists a bare-bones understanding of the arguments against other Marxist tendencies.
As a reading experience, while the book is short enough to not be drudging, it is incredibly dry reading. Non-fiction of this kind usually is, so there's no surprise here.
On the whole, Molyneux attempts to contribute to the Trotskyist discourse with the same insight and patient observation as Leon Trotsky. However, unlike Trotsky his work lacks substance and plays to the pervasive sectarianism that has alienated Trotskyism since Trotsky's assassination.
As a reading experience, while the book is short enough to not be drudging, it is incredibly dry reading. Non-fiction of this kind usually is, so there's no surprise here.
On the whole, Molyneux attempts to contribute to the Trotskyist discourse with the same insight and patient observation as Leon Trotsky. However, unlike Trotsky his work lacks substance and plays to the pervasive sectarianism that has alienated Trotskyism since Trotsky's assassination.
April 14, 2020
Utterly Trotskyist, and therefore more of a book about the Trotskyist perspective on other Marxist tendencies.
April 20, 2021
Detailed and compact account of Marxism. Good read.
January 3, 2023
Great book for those already familiar with the politics of the IST.
January 5, 2015
Basically a manifesto of the swp from the 1980s. Whatever one thinks of the usefulness of boundary-maintenance exercises such as this, it is an interesting account of the Trotskyist view but also a helpful introduction to the critiques of different varieties of socialist/communist thought and practice.
November 2, 2012
كتاب غير بسيط في اساليبه لكن رائع جدا في مضمونه
نقد طبقي مادي للنظرية الماركسية وما تلاها من تحولات "الستالينية والكاوتسكية وحركات تحرر العالم الثالث"
بمجرد ان تستوعب طريقة الكاتب في التحليل والنقد تري الكتاب ممتعا بحق
نقد طبقي مادي للنظرية الماركسية وما تلاها من تحولات "الستالينية والكاوتسكية وحركات تحرر العالم الثالث"
بمجرد ان تستوعب طريقة الكاتب في التحليل والنقد تري الكتاب ممتعا بحق
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews