Theory

An important debate from Marxism 1987 on how Marxists understand how things change.
Transcript of Harman article here:
https://www.marxists.org/archive/harman/1986/xx/base-super.html

"In the social production of their life, men enter into definite relations that are independent of their will, relations of production which correspond to a definite stage of development of their material productive forces.
The sum total of these relations of production constitutes the economic structure of society, the real basis on which rises a legal and political superstructure and to which correspond definite form of social consciousness.
The mode of production of material life conditions the social, political and intellectual life process in general.
It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness.
At a certain stage in their development the material productive forces of society come into conflict with the existing relations of production or – what is but a legal expression for the same thing – the property relations within which they have been at work hitherto.
From forms of development of the productive forces these relations turn into fetters. Then begins an epoch of social revolution.
With the change of the economic foundation the entire immense superstructure is more or less rapidly transformed.
In considering such transformations, a distinction should always be made between the material transformation of the material conditions of production, which can be determined with
the precision of natural science, and the legal, political, religious, aesthetic or philosophical – in short ideological – forms in which men become conscious of the conflict and fight it out.
... We do not judge a period of transformation by its consciousness; on the contrary this consciousness must itself be explained from the contradictions of material life, from the existing conflicts between the social productive forces and the relations of production.
In broad outlines Asiatic, ancient, feudal, and modern bourgeois modes of production can be designated as progressive epochs in the economic foundation of society"
[Karl Marx: from the Preface to A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy].

Base and Superstructure

Debate: Base And Superstructure with Harman, Hallas, Callinicos and Barker

In this 1990's talk Duncan Hallas discusses the basic philosophy underpinning the Marxist view of the world.

Historical Materialism -Duncan Hallas

Marxism 2013

What is the real International Socialist tradition?

Brilliant discussion of the Marxist method the nature of Stalinist Russia, the revolution in the developing world and the relative stability of post war capitalism.
Cliff's searing commentary is like a laser, illuminating the issues.
There is a huge amount to be learned from this talk even in 2020.

Tony Cliff - The International Socialist Tradition - Marxism 1998

Revolutionary Marxist thinker and activist Tony Cliff discusses the application of the Marxist method in Lenin's philosophy.
Sound quality is mixed on this recording. Headphones are advised.

Theory

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