Socialist Legacy

The third installment in a series in which I read Julius Braunthal's 1961 book, History of the International, 1864-1914. In this episode, I finish chapter four, "The Conspiracy of the Equals", picking up where we left off with Babeuf's attempt to save the French Revolution from self-destruction, and read chapter five, "The Counter-Revolutionary International", concerning the efforts of the ruling classes of Europe to snuff out the revolution as it spread across the continent. If you've enjoyed this recording, please consider supporting the Socialist Legacy on Patreon, at http://www.patreon.com/socialistlegacy​

The second installment in a series in which I read Julius Braunthal's 1961 book, History of the International, 1864-1914. In this episode, I read chapter three, "The Corresponding Society", about the first independent working class political movement in history, and the beginning of chapter four, "The Conspiracy of the Equals", concerning the rise and fall of the Jacobins during the French Revolution. If you've enjoyed this recording, please consider supporting the Socialist Legacy on Patreon, at http://www.patreon.com/socialistlegacy​

The first installment in a series in which I read Julius Braunthal's 1961 book, History of the International, 1864-1914. In this episode, I read the first two chapters, "The Birth of the Idea", and "Thomas Paine, Internationalist". If you've enjoyed this recording, please consider supporting the Socialist Legacy on Patreon, at http://www.patreon.com/socialistlegacy

Some reflections on this project, and the relationship between socialism and intellectual inquiry more generally. "The spirit which has awakened, pervades, and moves the multitude, is that of intellectual inquiry. The light of thought is illuming the minds of the masses; kindled by the cheap publications, the discussions, missionaries, and meetings of the last ten years: a light which no power can extinguish, nor control its vivifying influence. For the spark once struck is inextinguishable, and will go on extending and radiating with increasing power; thought will generate thought; and each illumined mind will become a centre for the enlightenment of thousands, till the effulgent blaze penetrates every cranny of corruption, and scare selfishness and injustice from their seats of power. *Chartism* is an emanation of this spirit: its aim is the regeneration of all, the subjugation of none; its objects, as righteous as those of its opponents are wicked and unjust, are to place our institutions on the basis of

The Principle of Self-Emancipation in Marx and Engels, by Hal Draper: https://www.marxists.org/archive/draper/1971/xx/emancipation.html If you've enjoyed this recording, please consider supporting the Socialist Legacy on Patreon, at https://www.patreon.com/socialistlegacy

The Principle of Self-Emancipation in Marx and Engels, by Hal Draper: https://www.marxists.org/archive/draper/1971/xx/emancipation.html If you've enjoyed this recording, please consider supporting the Socialist Legacy on Patreon, at https://www.patreon.com/socialistlegacy

An Introduction to Hal Draper, by Ernest Haberkern: https://www.marxists.org/archive/drap... Anatomy of the Micro-Sect, by Hal Draper: https://www.marxists.org/archive/drap... If you've enjoyed this recording, please consider supporting the Socialist Legacy on Patreon, at https://www.patreon.com/socialistlegacy

Toward a New Beginning–On Another Road: The Alternative to the Micro-Sect, by Hal Draper: https://www.marxists.org/archive/drap... Beyond sect or movement: What is a political center? A Platypus panel featuring Michael Hirsch, Jim Creegan, and Spencer A. Leonard - transcript: https://platypus1917.org/2019/09/01/b... - recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmTXI... If you've enjoyed this recording, please consider supporting the Socialist Legacy on Patreon, at https://www.patreon.com/socialistlegacy

A long and rambling episode in which I consider why it is so difficult to answer the simple question, "What is socialism?", I reflect on what I'm trying to accomplish with the Socialist Legacy project, and in which I read "The Man with the Hoe" by Edwin Markham, a few aphorisms from Max Horkheimer's "Dammerung", and a letter to Eugene Debs by an anonymous capitalist politician.

The full text of Johnstone's essay: https://www.marxists.org/archive/john... If you've enjoyed this video, please consider supporting the Socialist Legacy on Patreon, at patreon.com/socialistlegacy

The full text of Johnstone's essay: https://www.marxists.org/archive/johnstone/1967/xx/me-party.htm If you've enjoyed this recording, please consider supporting the Socialist Legacy on Patreon, at patreon.com/socialistlegacy

Thoughts on the morning after election day

Some reflections provoked by the upcoming election, inspired by the election speeches of Eugene Debs. To the extent that I have any "positive" opinions about contemporary politics, I am simply trying to channel Eugene Debs and say what he would have to say on the subject. That's why I'm generally more interested in unearthing the forgotten or distorted history of the Debsian socialist tradition than trying to write original thoughts of my own. When I do say something in my own voice, if there is any merit in it, it's because I'm effectively bringing that legacy to bear upon present questions. But the relevance of even such "positive" assessments is, on balance, negative, because the conditions in which they would have positive bearing on the question of "what should be done" are missing. The pain of that absence must be felt.

A speech by a founding member of the Socialist Party of America. Text available here: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/parties/spusa/1900/0929-herron-whyiamasoc.pdf You can support this project at patreon.com/socialistlegacy.

The first aphorism from Max Horkheimer's 1934 book, Dämmerung. You can support this project at patreon.com/socialistlegacy.

This was the third session of a course for members and fellow travelers of the Socialist Party of Southern New Hampshire and the Socialist Party USA, titled "What is a socialist party?" The readings for this session, "Future of the class struggle", were: - Karl Kautsky, The Class Struggle (1892) -- Chapter IV. The Commonwealth of the Future: https://www.marxists.org/archive/kautsky/1892/erfurt/ch04.htm -- Chapter V. The Class Struggle: https://www.marxists.org/archive/kautsky/1892/erfurt/ch05.htm A video version of this recording is available here: https://youtu.be/UfV4tGPJH3A If you are interested in learning more about this course, please feel free to contact me: rkotlas @ gmail . com For more information on the Socialist Party USA, visit: socialistpartyusa.net

The 1904 Platform of the Socialist Party of America. Available here: https://medium.com/@reidkane/socialist-party-of-america-platform-1904-d6da4cad879e

This was the second session of a course for members and fellow travelers of the Socialist Party of Southern New Hampshire and the Socialist Party USA, titled "What is a socialist party?" The readings for this session, "Origins of the class struggle", were: - The Erfurt Program of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (1891): https://www.marxists.org/history/international/social-democracy/1891/erfurt-program.htm - Karl Kautsky, The Class Struggle (1892) -- Chapter I. The Passing of Small Production: https://www.marxists.org/archive/kautsky/1892/erfurt/ch01.htm -- Chapter II. The Proletariat: https://www.marxists.org/archive/kautsky/1892/erfurt/ch02.htm -- Chapter III. The Capitalist Class: https://www.marxists.org/archive/kautsky/1892/erfurt/ch03.htm A video version of this recording is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtnt9jT4IYA If you are interested in learning more about this course, please feel free to contact me: rkotlas @ gmail . com For more information on the Socialist Party USA,

A passage from Philip Cunliffe's 2017 book, "Lenin Lives! Reimagining the Russian Revolution 1917-2017" You can find it on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2uaL0oW

This was the first session of a course for members and fellow travelers of the Socialist Party of Southern New Hampshire and the Socialist Party USA. It seeks to raise the question, "What is a socialist party?", by exploring how that question was answered historically. We will begin with a unit covering the major works of Karl Kautsky, the leading theorist of the Second International and intellectual successor of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels. The readings for this introductory session, "What is socialist politics?", were: - Karl Marx, Programme of the Parti Ouvrier (1880): https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1880/05/parti-ouvrier.htm - Socialist Party of America, 1904 Platform (1904): https://medium.com/@reidkane/socialist-party-of-america-platform-1904-d6da4cad879e - Eugene Debs, "Competition versus Cooperation" (1900): http://marxisthistory.org/history/usa/parties/spusa/1900/0929-debs-competitionvcooperation.pdf - George Herron, “Why I Am a Socialist” (1900): http://marxisthistory.org/history