On Historical Materialism
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Q&jnfaa ABL 1 f& 'S* CJrjA n . ^ ^ L { j L - f o ' l - f i i . 6Hf'Atc-e_«' <—■ . 1 ^v.c YA BASEBEMZI M A Y—J U L If : '‘ f'4‘;& KARL MARX,: 1818-1883^^ ~- :*>'- • *-w. .-• ;" * >- ’ ■ ■ .:*■ ---v-A" “~ 1 Contents • — —— ' - j ' *• j j ^ ' ry"‘ : ’ -H.1 . ‘ r*>'T-]v -V " I V *-■? X'is&A*-45 > % & ? ■ ''' • - ' ’ ■' "'* ■ -'• 5 ^ f i / . Introduction ;": r - '■ — - ^ X ;f P age2^;^ - ,••..•••. v v * s "■ . ' I -- . J ~ J i ,••..•••. v v * s "■ - *■ ■ » v » ” Marx the revolutionary .. s V -.. ;• • Vy" - T . By Brian Ingham - '"' y ■ . ~~:-f - Page 3 •y* ■“ * ■ •- ■ • - • *..-• " • • . * . * - .• *«T '*• f’’’ • • .*■.. • t v •• :•• C - Marx—founder of~ t . •••• : .-S': ' V -.i • v ’-.*. - ' / scientific socialism .T : By John Pickard Page 6 - • . - •.: * '- „ ‘ ...-;J . - 4» - 'i * • * On, historical materialism ' * • r*- ’ Letter by Friedrich Engels Page 9 The historical destiny of the teaching of K.Marx By V.LLenin v¥ i . The Communist Manifesto today V;.v. By L. Trotsky Page 11 T - • Marxism today By Peter Hadden Page 14 Explanatory Notes Page 15 This a .* sapplament to INQABA YA BASEBENZt journal of tha Marxist Worker*' Tendency af the African National Congress. Readers are urged to make photocopies of this publication and pass then on to other comrades. Subscriptions for readers outside South Africa can be ordered from: BM Bax 1719, London WC1I* 3XX. , \ : ■ ; . - KARL MARX. 1818-1883 Introduction the working dass under capitalism. Karl Marx, born in Germany in 1818, died a hundred It is the consdous understanding of years ago, on 14 March 1883. Hestruggled throughout the experience of political oppression and. economic exploitation of the his politically conscious life for the liberation of the working dass by the capitalist*, and working class and all humanity from all forms of of. their struggle for political and oppression. ' •- " ' ; v ' social liberation. I - ._ . Together with bis comrade, Friedrich Engels, he For the black SA workers. poCncal rightlessness, pass laws, influx con developed * the theoretical framework of scientific trol, homelessness, poverty, wages, socialism which remains the essential guide in the ongo unemployment, etc., and struggles ing. struggle against capitalism. - - - .. against these evils, are the embodi ment of capitalism. -, It is these social evils that the SA capitalists vow to maintain “with all In this Supplement we reprint ar being imperialist agents!. ..* . the force a t (their)- comman d” . ticles by Marxists outlining aspects of The SA capitalist class, with its The capitalists’ virulent hatred of the life and work of Karl Marx. They backward political habits, marked Marxism reflects the world-wide also explain the continuing relevance the anniversary with an aggressive bankruptcy of their system. It reflects for the working dass and all oppress-. and cynical note: - . ' their fear of the workers and oppress ed people of Marxist theory, and “ Marxism is, and always has been, ed who are today moving into huge method. •’* ■ i a disaster. In the interests of freedom struggles all around the world against The 100th anniversary of Marx’s (?) and prosperity (!?) of ordinary the monstrous barriers of capnalism death has spilled onto the surface the people it most be resisted with all the and Stalinism which stand in the way capitalists’ bitter fear and hatred' of force at our command-” (Financial ’ of human progress.. Marxism—which has continued to M a il, 18/3/83) well up since the publication of the As Lenin explained long agoj no Communist Manifesto in 1848 in other attitude is to be expected from Scien tific which Marx and Engels signed the capitalists or their ‘scientists'! certificate of the inevitabledeath of “The teaching of Marx evokes .... capitalism. the greatest hostility and hatred on All these struggles, however, are In 1983 the spectre o f Marxism is the parr of all bourgeois science (both vindicating the truth and scientific haunting the entire world of official and liberal) which regards . correctness of the teaching of Marx capitalism, and the totalitarian Marxism a5 something in the nature • that.obsolete systems will be thrown bureaucracies ruling the deformed of a ‘pernicious s e a ’. .... A ll official on the junkheap of history. workers’ states of Russia, Eastern and liberal science d e fe n d s wage- The first two articles reprinted Europe, etc in the name of slavery in one way or another, here, outlining Marx’s political ‘Marxismr. whereas- Marxism has declared devdopment and the method that he To exorcise it, the political wit relentless war on that slavery. To ex evolved, are from M ilita n t, weekly chdoctors of the capitalists are piling pect science to be impartial in a sode- Marxist paper in the British labour on their anti-Marxist propaganda. •ty of wage-slavery is as silly and naive / ‘movement (4 and 18 M arch, 1983). In the advanced capitalist coun •as to expect impartiality from The British capitalists and right-wing tries, they argue that Marxism is ir employers on the question as to labour leaders have launched a relevant and outdated. Id the ex- Nwhether the workers’ wages should be furious witchhunt against the sup colonial world, they dismiss Marxism increased by decreasing the profits of porters of M ilita n t predsdy because, as a foreign ideology. ,. capital.” (The. Three Sources and through its application of the Marx Also the Stalinist bureaucracies ac Three Component Parts of ist method and relentless fight for a cuse the Polish workers struggling for M a rxism .) socialist programme, it is gaining a workers’ democracy, which is essen ‘ But what is Marxism? Marxism is growing response among workers tial to the programme of Marxism, of 1 the generalised experience of hfe of and youth. The articles explain that Marx was queraded in its name. not merely spinning out theories in md lasting correctness of tie These developments are placed in the British Museum about the M anifesto'% perspective^ aad perspective in the article here by working-class revolution, but that he simultaneously updates it in the light, Lenin, written in 1913—its arguments was a revolutionary himself. His own o f history since 1843. are confirmed even more profound life showed, as his teachings explain Trotsky's revolutionary leadership ly by the later history of the 20th served to maintain and develop the ed, that revolutionary theory and century. practice are inseparable. Marxist armoury of the working das* Within a year after Lenin wrote These articles are followed by ex through the period of huge defeats ■»- this article, most of the so-called tracts from three other great teachers . flicted on it in the inter-war years. His ‘Marxist* leaden o f the Second Inter of Marxism: Engels, Lenin and writings havei& o provided The*focn- national were supporting their ‘own’ Trotsky. dations on which Marxism since the bourgeois governments in the First Engels's letter to Bloch deals with Second World War has maintained World War—a huge setback for the itself and launched into new growth. the familiar distortion of Marxism, workerV movement. that it is ‘one-sided’ and explains the Marxism a above all a guide to historical development of society as working-class action and struggle. being determined purely by The final article reprinted here b economics, hi reply, Engels shows Confidence - from the Militant Irish Monthly that there is a much more-complex .! • * - * ' / (March 1983), Marxist journal in the and many-sided interaction of forces ; Irish labour movement. It sums up Yet Lema’s confidence in the J the programme of Marxism in reia- which determines social conditions, workers’ revolution was not shaken. although “the determining element in- tion to different parts of the world— ! Through the method of Marxism, be a programme which is the practical history is u ltim a te!? the production was able to comprehend the new and reproduction in real life..:”" conclusion of the painstaking analysis developments and thus prepare the carried out by Marxists of the lessen Since the time of Marx an d Engels, way for the Bolshevik Party to lead history has not moved in a straight o f history an d class struggle up to the the Russian working class in 1917 to ■_ present stage.. ' x line. The working class has experienc establish the first lasting workers’ ed victories but also defeats. The Concretely working out the tasks state in history. - of national and social liberation in -transition from capitalism to Scarcely ten years later Trotsky, •socialism has been more protracted, Southern Africa is the responsibility together with Lenin the leader of the resting on all militants active in: ocr and taken a more complex course, Russian Revolution, found himself than they could have anticipated. struggle. Reading the articles exiled from Russia and isolated, as a reprinted here, and studying the Each ebb and flow pf the struggle, result of the Stalinist political however, has confirmed the correct classic writings of Marxism, activisa counter-revolution in the USSR, and can help to arm themselves and the ness o f the- Marxist m ethod and the defeats of the working class in enriched it through the labour of working class against disorientation, ternationally. Nevertheless he con those who have understood and ap against the disappointment of set tinued to apply and enrich the Marx plied it consistently. backs,' against the diversions of ist method in brilliant analysesof the At the same time, there have been ‘pacifist’ opportunism, armed adven complex events through which the many Marxists who have lost their turism, etc. working class was passing. ' beanngs, their perspective and their- Unity on this basis is the key to .Reprinted here is his introduction confidence in the working class. The building a mass ANC of the working to the first Afrikaans edition of the traditions of Marxism have also been.’ class that can lead all the oppressed Communist M anifesto, prepared by obscured by the many opportunists, to the armed overthrow of the apar his supporters in South Africa.