MARXISM TODAY, SEPTEMBER, 1977 257 Editorial Comments TWENTY YEARS OF "MARXISM TODAY" WITH this September Marxism Today we THE SPREAD OF MARXISM complete 20 years of publication, 240 issues. Whilst reformism remains a dominating The decision to publish a new theoretical influence in the British working class move­ journal arose from the great debates of 1956- ment, there has been an important advance 57, and, in particular from the 25th Congress of Marxism in fields of study and research of the CPGB, held in April of that latter year. during the last 20 years and, particularly, The need was deeply felt for a journal that during the past decade. would examine the broad strategic problems It is reflected in many aspects of the life of facing the British working class, that would the Communist Party—in the work of the record and discuss the developments of the Specialist Groups in the widening pro- international working class, the national revo­ pramme of publication by Lawrence & lutionary and progressive movements, in­ Wishart, in the growth over nine years of the cluding the achievements, problems and Communist University of London (CUL) from weaknesses of the socialist sector of the a couple of hundreds to this year's 1,500. We world, one that would, as best it could, treat, hope that Marxism Today has been a con­ from a Marxist-Leninist viewpoint, all the tributory factor. main areas of human knowledge, all the Pioneers of Marxism in Britain in fields like disciplmes. history, philosophy, aesthetics or natural An especially strong demand was that the science had, in the early thirties to contend new journal should be devoted to theory and with complete ignorance and rejection of discussion. In the intense debates of this Marxism. "Interesting, but certainly not period it was often said that in party life and philosophy" it was said of a thesis on dialec­ journals of the past there had been insufficient tical materialism. discussion and that what there had been had Now much has changed. The crisis of often been too restricted and too formal. bourgeois values, approaches, outlooks, the The desire developed to try to overcome growth of socialism, the new balance of class dogmatic approaches, whilst resisting temp­ relations in the world, the achievements of tations, advanced sometimes in the name of Marxists in every intellectual field, have had combating dogmatism, to lose the essential their effect. In contrast to the early thirties, it tenets of Marxism-Leninism, its essential can almost be said "we are all marxists now". class and revolutionary content. Respectable bourgeois publishers print The demand—no easy one—was for a works—good, bad and indifJFerent-on Marx­ Marxist approach that was militant, partisan, ism and Leninism. Strange thought—Marxism but open, critical, creative. 1 think that it was has become profitable! understood, by many at least, that this was Torrents of projects, dissertations, and no overnight task, but that it would be a long PhD theses on every aspect of Marxism in­ and complex process, which, of course, con­ undate higher education and appeals for help tinues still today, that much study, thinking in research fill the postbag of the editor of and re-thinking would be necessary. Marxism Today. Our first number was published in October In the catalogues of the most eminent (and 1957. The Editorial Board was composed of expensive) antiquarian booksellers the prices J. D. Bernal, Emile Burns, Les Burt, Maurice of belles lettres, topography, theology, pale Cornforth, Maurice Dobb, John Gollan, besides the cost of works on the radical and Arnold Kettle, James Klugmann, John Lewis, labour movement, the women's movement, John Mahon, Frank Stanley .GeorgeThomson socialism, communism. and John Wood. This, of course, in general terms, repre- PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 258 MARXISM TODAY, SEPTEMBER, 1977 sents a great and important advance, a Pollitt, Marian Ramelson, who have written growth of sincere interest. It sliows that for us articles that will long be studied and IVIarxism cannot be stopped by decrees, dis­ remembered. tortion, denunciation—nor even by silence. Over 20 years we have entered the lists But there are problems. with contributions in nearly every field of Consciously or unconsciously, when the study and thought many of which have made British ruling class cannot resist the advance their mark. of movements and ideas, it attempts to ab­ Again names are invidious, but to mention sorb, to 'incorporate' them. And, therefore, a few whose works have been most studied, within this general spread in Britain of we think of Maurice Dobb, with comrades like Marxist ideas, there is a danger of what Sam Aaronovitch, Ron Bellamy, Pat Devine, German Marxists once called Katheder- John Eaton, John Purton, Bob Rowthorne in marxismus—a sort of 'academic marxism' political economy; J. D. Bernal with Sam which adopts the externals whilst losing the Lilley in natural science; Maurice Cornforth, revolutionary core, like concepts of class, John Lewis, Martin Milligan In philosophy; state, revolution and party and that 'awkward' A. L. Morton with Christopher Hill, Eric special relation with the working class— Hobsbawm, Monty Johnstone, Andrew Roth- whisky, that is, without the alcohol. stein in the field of history and Hymie Pagan, All the heavier the responsibility on a John Foster, Ruth and Edmund Frow, Mick journal like Marxism Today to endeavour to Jenkins in the specific field of Labour His­ appraise, explore, appreciate every new de­ tory; Arnold Kettle with John Berger, Alan velopment of Marxism in every field, whilst Bush, David Craig, W. H. Evans, Jeremy critically combating attempts to lose the Hawthorn, Margot Heinemann, Hans Hess, essential substance. Jack Lindsay, Raymond Southall, Ray Watkin- son in the field of literature and the arts; Brian Simon on the theory of education; CONTENT OVER 20 YEARS Vic Allen, Alan Hunt, Maurice Levitas and Creating a serious Marxist journal is a long Mary Mcintosh on sociology. and complex process—a process that con­ tinues indefinitely. Many of the articles written by them and by We have tried to open up in the economic many whose names I have omitted (for which and political fields a critique of and a socialist I beg a rare Marxist forgiveness), have been alternative to capitalism, to examine the reprinted, translated, anthologised, even in­ strategic problems of revolutionary advance corporated in university syllabuses, have be­ to socialism, to present a detailed critique come essential sources of Marxist study. We of reformism, to examine the nature of the have a constant demand for back issues. British capitalist state, the problems of women's liberation, of trade unionism, to DISCUSSION follow new developments of Marxism-Lenin­ Discussion was seen as a key component ism, to study the outlook of great Marxists of the new journal in 1957. It has been a like Dimitrov and Gramsci. matter of principle that, so far as space per­ We have tried to discuss the advances, mitted, and space is a harsh taskmaster, that achievements and the problems of the Soviet all articles should be open to critique and Union and other socialist countries. discussion. Living in a world historic centre of im­ Over the 20 years there is no doubt that perialism, we have tried to pay particular discussion contributions have enormously attention to questions of imperialism, neo­ increased. Besides individual articles we have colonialism, the national liberation move­ published a whole series of extended discus­ ment, nationalism and internationalism, sions. solidarity. I think of "Marxism and Morals" (opened We have translated articles from Party by John Lewis in 1958); "Whither Trade leaders and statements from countries all Unions?" (opened by Harry Pollitt in 1958); over the world. "The Artist and Politics" (opened by Arnold It is too invidious to outline names of the Kettle in 1959); "Stages of Social Develop­ comrades who over the years have written ment" (opened by Joan Simon in 1961, and, and are writing in these fields, though we incidentally just translated into Japanese); would like to pay tribute to some of those no "Abstract Art" (opened by Ray Watkinson in longer with us like Emile Burns, J. R. Camp­ 1963); "What does Music Mean?" (opened bell, R. Palme Dutt, John Mahon, Harry by Alan Bush in 1963); "Marxism and Ethics" PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED MARXISM TODAY, SEPTEMBER, 1977 259 (opened by Martin Milligan in 1965); "Laws of rising in recent years with an average print Dialectics" (opened by Maurice Cornforth in this year of 5,500 and a steady rise, too, in 1965); "Dialogue between Christianity and regular subscriptions. Marxism" (opened by John Lewis in 1966); "Of Geese and Men" (opened by John Lewis PROBLEMS AHEAD in 1968); "Why Did it Happen?" (opened by Looking back with the hindsight of history Marian Sling, and reopened by Maurice Dobb it is easy to see some, at least, of our many in 1969); "Workers' Control" (opened by weaknesses and lines along which our jour­ Bert Ramelson in 1969); "Socialist Democ­ nal can be strengthened. racy" (opened by James Klugmann in 1970); We have not, it seems to me, succeeded "Socialism, Democracy and the One-Party sufficiently in winning the leading political System" (opened by Monty Johnstone in forces of the Communist Party and above all 1970); "The Strategy of Socialist Revolution those with great experience of trade union in Britain" (opened by Bert Pearce in 1971); struggle to writefor our journal. Yet there is a "Marxism and the Family" (opened by Rose­ crying need for developed Marxist study of mary Small in 1972); the now famous "Lewis- industrial problems. More and more young Althusser Debate" of 1972; "Trends in Youth people are contributing to Marxism Today, Culture" (opened by Martin Jacques in 1973); but not sufficiently those with industrial "Inflation" (opened by John Purton in 1974 experience.