Classics of Marxism Series

For Marxists, there is an indissoluble interrelation between ideas and what we do: theory and practice. The theory of Marxism draws upon the historical experience of the working-class movement; and that theory in turn informs our practice. Practice without theory is rudderless; theory without practice is academics.

Come and join the ISO at the following meetings for a summer-long intensive study on the classics of Marxism.

All meetings this summer take place at the Flying Squirrel Community Space on 285 Clarissa St, Rochester, NY and begin at 7:30pm on Thursdays.

Meetings marked with a * have required readings associated which are listed below.

Summer Calendar:
07/01 - Open ISO Working Meeting
07/08 - "Marx's Historical Materialism" *
07/15 - Open ISO Working Meeting
07/22 - "Marx's Political Economy" *
07/29 - Open ISO Working Meeting
08/05 - "The Politics of Social Classes" Part I *
08/12 - Open ISO Working Meeting
08/19 - "The Politics of Social Classes" Part II *
08/26 - "The Civil War in France" *
09/02 - Open ISO Working Meeting

Required Reading List:
07/08 - "Marx's Historical Materialism"
Prerequisite: Phil Gasper, The German Ideology
Read it online

Main reading:
Marx and Engels, Preface and First chapter of The German Ideology (83 pages)
Read it online
Marx and Engels, Theses on Feuerbach (3 pages)
Read it online
Engel’s: Letter to J. Bloch: (2 pages)
Read it online

07/22 - "Marx's Political Economy"
Prerequisite: Phil Gasper, Marx’s Capital
Read it online

Main Reading
Marx, Value, Price and Profit (43 pages)
Read it online
Capital, Part VI: Primitive Accumulation
(chapters 26, 27, 28, 30, 31,and 32) (55 pages)
Read it online

08/05 - "The Politics of Social Classes" Part I
(to follow the historical allusions,
make use of wikipedia on the subject.)

Prerequisites: Trotsky on 1848 (From Results and Prospects)
Read it online

Main Reading:
Engel’s introduction to Class Struggles in France (18 pages)
Read it online
Marx’s Class Struggles in France (87 pages)
Read it online

08/19 - "The Politics of Social Classes" Part II
Main Reading:
Engels’ preface to Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte (2 pages)
Read it online
Marx, Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte (82 page)
Read it online

08/26 - "The Civil War in France"
Prerequisite: Elizabeth Lalasz, The Civil War in France
Read it online

Main Reading: Marx, Civil War in France (45 pages)
Read it online