Daring the last several months there has been an increased interest in Markist education on the student left. This development partially reflects a handoning of the left, a realisation of the noed for morg long-term prospects than semed necessary in the heady days of 1968. It also follows developments in Hestern Europe and particularly in Western Germany. In the batter country the generally higher level of Marxist culture and theoretical dexterity (the ahsence of the poison of the British empiricist tradition, rogether with the much broader and more continuous moversenes in the education systers, led naturally to the development of sophisticated course critiques, study cinces, etc. One of the latest phenomens is the enorious interest evinced by young warkers in thenry: at a nocent meeting in London, Mandel described the large numbers of workers fectory cireles which regularty studied Capitel in Aritain serious course critiques have valy seen mall beginnings. They can, however, be a very valuable ideological weapon in the hands of revolutionaries on the campus. But it should be realised that a Left is srrong enough to dominate ideolopically a large and continsing student movement. Even though it h unlikely that Britain will experience such critiques on a large scale, we should not forger the importance of ideolagical reunter critiques in the strugele for tie Independence of the working class Marx and Lenin were very quick to deal with any important themstical ideas of the bourgsoise, since they anderstood very well the corrupting influence of bourgees ideolosy, wuch if it is nat tackled and dealt with on its awn level and not crudly democnued will be uncansciously absorbert WHAT IS MARXIST THEORY!
The reading list as the ond of the article altompes a much smpler task, te to ambrace a much mone immediate programene of senes. It necessarily leaves aside wide fields and does not ence pretend to le compretcesive. What we try and do is to concentrate on fields of stady which have an immediato bearing on the political practice of revolutionarics. Belore doing that, homerer, tea miscoaceptions natine to Marxist error which study circles not located within an organisation wità a cuberent political practice ane pront The tee insis which has an it Suf the left intelligentsia which has "come, so the sac or the worsene class but whose social pra. tice impedes it from attempting in make the revolution. It is the theoretical reflection of che divorce herween pelitics and cesnucnics engendered by Capitalist Development. social democency: "Marxism" exists in a limbo *parated from class politics BRITISH EMPIRICISM It is the opposite orror, however, which is perhaps the bigner danger in Beitain is the peesent period. This error seduces theory to an adjanst of curest practice. E cornshination of idealogical justiticacion for u particular practies and an essentially sechnical study or los to improv that practices If is a serious danger Tor senseral reasons First our fesses are small in relasion to the enormous tasks which confront us and this means a constant pressure to ger swopt away hy day-to-day routine setivite, especially in periods of ebesse scriggles. Seconelly the empiricist tradition ir britain wields a tremendous influence coen in the rani THE STATI uf the resolutionary moverent. The Brities sace state) that we often lose sight of che central problem Dow to smash the bourgenis sLate Toat is why we must study Lent and the hidar of the Bolster Parts. for this history is precisely What of the theoretical Indopendence ef the working class. The Holleriks actored the caderserip of the Herolucion. presisely Decats of their abilit; to sorreedy analose the day. today devolopments in Canst Russa we must also, of course, study Mais 3 Capiral Vers Few militants bocher to do this because of a mistaken Hea that Captai ika difficall book to resa. While ics heginning on Commodiests difieult that car le entertand Mary's method it is essental te read Capital itself as well as studies of it In any case the Following list is accorded for les interested London N. 1. Back copies of NLR from New Let Levin, T Carlisle Street, Landon W.1 ECONOMICS Engels: On Marx's Capital; Mandel: Marxist Economic Theory (2 vols); Sweezy: Theory of IMPERIALISM Leain: Imperialism; Kemp. Imperialism (Useful as a summary of Lenin and Luxemburg, though much weaker on the postwar period]; Mandel! Nicolaus: Debate inNLR (Nos. 54. 59). Gunder Frank: Latin America-Underdevelopment or Revolution: Magdoff: The Age of Ini perialism. COMMON MARKET Mandel: Europe v. America: Warren: Reply le tobin Murray (NLR 68).
Lenin: State and Revolution: Miliband: The State Right of Nations to Self Determination. in Capitalist Society, Poulantzas: Capitalism and the State (NIR 58).
THE PARTY Lenin: What is to be done; Mandel: The Lenini: Theory of Organisation BRITAIN On the Labour Party: - Blackburn, Jordan and Jones, back nos of The Red Mole; Miliband: Parliamentary Socialisa, Anderson: Origins of the Prosent Crisis (NLR 23)/Componeats of the National Culture (NLR S0) Nairo: Fateful Metidian (NLR 60)
Marshall: British Capitalism— Results and Prospects (International 6).
On the C.P.:- - Warren: The British Road to Socialism (NLR.).
On Workers Control: - Davis: Theories of Workers Control (EMG Publications): Coates:
Can the Workers Run Industry?
STALINISM Troesky: The Revolation Betrayed; Morrow: Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Spain: Mandel (Ed): Filly Years of World Revolution; Trotsky: Permanent Revolution; Mandel/ Krisso: Debate in NLR 44, etc.
de Paor: Divided Elster; Lysaght: The Republic of Ireland: Gibbon: Ulster; Religion and Class (NLR 55): Jones: Ireland Background to 1916 Unternational 5); Connolly: Socialism and nabonalam Labour in trish History: Lenin. TE RACISM Trotsky: Theses on Black Nationalism: Cox: Cless, Caste and Race:
FASCISM Trotsky: Germany 1931/32. Fascism— What it is and bow to fight it WOMEN'S LIBERATION Engels: Origins of the Family, Private Property and the State; Coulson: Women's LiberationContext and Potentialities (eternarrong/ 47 Magus: Theories of Worder's Liberation (NER.