With the death of Pope Francis, the world loses not only a church leader but also a moral compass
Why is Lenin still so important today?
Ahead of the forthcoming centenary of Lenin’s death, the MARX MEMORIAL LIBRARY takes a look at his major works and their significance
LYNNE WALSH previews the Bristol Radical History Conference this weekend
Keir Starmer’s £120 million to Sudan cannot cover the government’s complicity in the RSF genocide or atone for the long shadow of British colonialism and imperialism, writes CLAUDIA WEBBE
Join the traditional march from Clerkenwell Green, which will bring together countless international workers’ organisations in a statement against the far right
Ecuador’s election wasn’t free — and its people will pay the price under President Noboa
Mountains of research show that hardcore material harms children, yet there are still no simple measures in place
We face austerity, privatisation, and toxic influence. But we are growing, and cannot be beaten
THIS month marks the centenary of Lenin’s death on January 21 1924. Most of the Full Marx columns to date have been to do with the significance of Marxism in relation to history, philosophy, economics and the environment. But often you’ll come across the term “Marxism-Leninism.” What’s that “Leninism” bit about?
Sometimes it’s explained as that the theory is Marx and the revolutionary practice is Lenin. But that would be far too simple. Marx and Engels did initiate a theoretical analysis of class society, particularly capitalism, and its dynamics. But they were also committed to changing the world and were closely involved with European political movements of their time.
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, founder of the Russian Communist Party and first head of the Soviet state, also wrote extensively, both before and after the October 2017 Russian Revolution in which he played such a significant part, developing Marx and Engels’ analysis of capitalism, as well as revolutionary theory and practice.
More from this author
Most currently popular arguments for degrowth describe a real problem without recognising its true cause – capitalism’s insatiable need to accumulate, argues the MARX MEMORIAL LIBRARY
Most phenomena have an explanation, writes the MARX MEMORIAL LIBRARY, but occasionally ‘anomalous’ events have led to new scientific understanding
The fight to defend public services is as important as the struggle over wages, but presents different challenges to workplace organising — especially with regards to bourgeois propaganda and conditioning, writes the MARX MEMORIAL LIBRARY
Marx and Engels’ concern with soil provides a focus for understanding the relationship between capitalism and the environment, argues the MARX MEMORIAL LIBRARY
