Agree on the Mandel as an accessible intro. to Marxist economic theory. Worth pointing out that the Penguin edition of Capital Vol. One has a long intro by Mandel that may help ease first-time readers into this difficult book.
these are some of the authors that i really enjoyed reading and they have really good books on marx and about marxism, globalization and capitalism: luc boltanski, giovanni arrighi, antonio negri, etienne balibar, deleuze. Fernand braudel and arrighi have some of the most amazing books on history of capitalism. emmanuelle wallerstein.. keep going man you are doing great!!
I've not read Negri yet. The current books I am reading are I.I Rubin "Essays in Marx's Theory of Value", "Studies in Mutualist Political Economy" by Kevin Carson and Volume 3 of Das Kapital.
Hey B, I just checked out "Capital" from the library at my school, and it seems to be a difficult read(this coming from an avid reader and a student) For example,
Dialectical materialism.
When I looked up the definition, it was defined as disagreeing on something but still having some same goals or truths in common. It still doesnt make sense in the context of how it is used in the book. I'll continue on though.
Yeah.. that's not a helpful definition. Dialectical materialism is a mode of inquiry developed by marx which he inherited and adapted from Hegel. One day when I understand it more clearly I will make a video on it. I used to have a video but I took it down because I thought it was inadequate.
If you're reading Kapital for the first time I highly recommend David Harvey's online lectures.
I have a draft of a paper criticising the first part of Zeitgeist: Addendum, in which it repeats the fallacy that banks create money out of thin air through the issuance of loans. If anyone wants to read it send me a message. (Comment below should have been a reply to an earlier comment about Major Douglas!)
I'd love to read it and I'm glad you have written it. In Marx's time critiques of utopian socialism were an important part of his work and I think that the Zeitgeist project, as pathetic as it is, offers a great opportunity to explain a lot of important concepts to people through critique.
Now, not to say that I am quick to believe everything that I hear or see, but could you point out of few things in the "Zeitgeist" movie that were "idiotic" as you say. I thought it brought some interesting ideals out to look forward too. Of course, I am talking about the end of the movie. Perhaps I will watch the full orientation video to see any flaws.
have vocabulary discussions and chapter reviews together, maybe meet each day or week,as I type this I can't help but think how difficult it is to get things organized,how difficult human relations are just interacting and trying to maintain balance between self assertion and maintaining personal boundaries and trying to be respectful yet honest with others.I'm thinking once I get the technology, to read whole books on you tube with vocabulary discussion and thoughts on subject matter
Economics isn't easy. I recommend starting of with David Harvey's NeoLiberalism. The Text is 206 pages and the author has a wonderful grasp of language. For some short and clearly written articles I would also recommend the work of Kieran Allen (Ireland) and Chris Harman (UK) from the SWP.
I have such a difficult time reading and staying focused and comprehending and retaining information..I mean an incredibly hard time like it is pointless to even try..I'm STRUGGLING through Moby Dick now and I even have the audio book to go along with.I suspect a lot of people out there are like me yet still have a thirst for knowledge, and I think that a good productive thing to do would to start having reading groups where people get together and read out loud and have (cont above)
"Marx's Kapital for Beginners" by Smith & Evans can be read online (sans illustrations) @ revleft . com. Search for the title and you'll see a sticky thread (marked in red text).
I'd link to it directly, but you know how YouTube is. :-/
I think it is absurdly idiotic on so many levels. I can't wait to do a video about how much I hate it. But I'll have to wait because I have a busy summer ahead of me.
While the latter was Vogue (1989) Alex Callinicos's book "Against Postmodernism : A Marxist Critique" realy stood out in the bookstore. Worth reading today for a hightened sense of vindication (not that we have a shortage of it).
I don't think it's a complete waste. Their critique of market systems is opening the eyes of many former Ron Paul bots, thanks to the overlapping critiques of the FED, which draws them in. So that's a positive. And the concept of taking stock of resources is always a good thing to get people thinking about. I don't think it's worth tearing apart, TBH. It can only alienate them. They lump communism in with capitalism as untenable, but I suspect it's a desire to not get smeared with the red brush.
The Marx-Engels Reader is a good book. Even I own a copy of it. It's very useful, especially if you can't get to the Marxist Internet Archive or Marx2Mao websites because your internet is down. Everything from Marx and Engels that you need is right there in the book, so you don't have to wait to search after your connection is fixed.
Towards a New Socialism is a great work! One of the few books that attempts to theorise and formulate a new society, although we cannot be prescriptive. ;-)
Are you familiar with Major Clifford Hugh Douglas criticism of Marx? I came across C.H.Douglas' "Economic Democracy" while studying Ezra Pound. I believe Douglas had a problem with how Marx framed WORK and value. Marx used labor to determine value but Douglas believed it should be worked out in terms of energy.
That paragraph above might reveal how little i know about any of this stuff but I'll learn.
@hume12345 "energy is the only real barometer going forward"
It's an interesting one alright. I'm not too sure I'm familiar with what he means about price and energy (how does a piece of artwork get valued?) but the idea that engineering minds and scientific brains have been trying to put us all out of work since the industrial revolution is worth exploring today in a bigger debate.
Is there so much surplus that we need a "National Dividend" to distribute it? Could be happening as we speak
I'm not surprised that CH Douglas is making a comeback in the time of recession. He argued that economic crises occurred simply as a result of the lack of purchasing power of the workers, ie it is not the result of declining profits. Because he also (erroneously) believed that bankers create credit and money "at the stroke of a pen" he thought that banks should just issue loans. This would be obviously inflationary.
Also, the Harvey lectures are great, but there's the choice of buying his "Companion to Marx's Capital", which is basically the lectures written up.
antelope65 1 month ago
Agree on the Mandel as an accessible intro. to Marxist economic theory. Worth pointing out that the Penguin edition of Capital Vol. One has a long intro by Mandel that may help ease first-time readers into this difficult book.
antelope65 1 month ago
I read 'Marx for Beginners' by Rius! It's a lovely and helpful little book!
MetaCraken 5 months ago
Would you recommend "The Meaning of Marxism" by Paul D'Amato?
TeflonMaster 2 years ago
I've not read it. have you?
brendanmcooney 2 years ago
Comment removed
postleftist 1 year ago
Thanks for all your videos!
Keep up the good work!
Socialismisdemocracy 2 years ago
these are some of the authors that i really enjoyed reading and they have really good books on marx and about marxism, globalization and capitalism: luc boltanski, giovanni arrighi, antonio negri, etienne balibar, deleuze. Fernand braudel and arrighi have some of the most amazing books on history of capitalism. emmanuelle wallerstein.. keep going man you are doing great!!
4real1975 2 years ago
are u currently reading some antonio negri's books?
4real1975 2 years ago
I've not read Negri yet. The current books I am reading are I.I Rubin "Essays in Marx's Theory of Value", "Studies in Mutualist Political Economy" by Kevin Carson and Volume 3 of Das Kapital.
brendanmcooney 2 years ago
Extremely Highly recommeded Read
(The Best that Money can't buy) on The
Venus Project website, what an incredible book to read, even though i lost my copy and i'm still looking for it.
You will love that book, It is extremely deep and talks about a Resource Based Economy in deep detail.
bigsteelguy 2 years ago
Hey B, I just checked out "Capital" from the library at my school, and it seems to be a difficult read(this coming from an avid reader and a student) For example,
Dialectical materialism.
When I looked up the definition, it was defined as disagreeing on something but still having some same goals or truths in common. It still doesnt make sense in the context of how it is used in the book. I'll continue on though.
1studentoftruth 2 years ago
Yeah.. that's not a helpful definition. Dialectical materialism is a mode of inquiry developed by marx which he inherited and adapted from Hegel. One day when I understand it more clearly I will make a video on it. I used to have a video but I took it down because I thought it was inadequate.
If you're reading Kapital for the first time I highly recommend David Harvey's online lectures.
brendanmcooney 2 years ago
I have a draft of a paper criticising the first part of Zeitgeist: Addendum, in which it repeats the fallacy that banks create money out of thin air through the issuance of loans. If anyone wants to read it send me a message. (Comment below should have been a reply to an earlier comment about Major Douglas!)
barrymarshall 2 years ago
I'd love to read it and I'm glad you have written it. In Marx's time critiques of utopian socialism were an important part of his work and I think that the Zeitgeist project, as pathetic as it is, offers a great opportunity to explain a lot of important concepts to people through critique.
brendanmcooney 2 years ago
Now, not to say that I am quick to believe everything that I hear or see, but could you point out of few things in the "Zeitgeist" movie that were "idiotic" as you say. I thought it brought some interesting ideals out to look forward too. Of course, I am talking about the end of the movie. Perhaps I will watch the full orientation video to see any flaws.
1studentoftruth 2 years ago
money=debt
consumption drives growth
computers can and should make all decisions for us
these are the first things that come to mind. Like I said, I hope to eventually have time to make a more complete critique.
brendanmcooney 2 years ago
I would like to read it.
1studentoftruth 2 years ago
have vocabulary discussions and chapter reviews together, maybe meet each day or week,as I type this I can't help but think how difficult it is to get things organized,how difficult human relations are just interacting and trying to maintain balance between self assertion and maintaining personal boundaries and trying to be respectful yet honest with others.I'm thinking once I get the technology, to read whole books on you tube with vocabulary discussion and thoughts on subject matter
catgumart 2 years ago
Economics isn't easy. I recommend starting of with David Harvey's NeoLiberalism. The Text is 206 pages and the author has a wonderful grasp of language. For some short and clearly written articles I would also recommend the work of Kieran Allen (Ireland) and Chris Harman (UK) from the SWP.
anagnostic 2 years ago
I have such a difficult time reading and staying focused and comprehending and retaining information..I mean an incredibly hard time like it is pointless to even try..I'm STRUGGLING through Moby Dick now and I even have the audio book to go along with.I suspect a lot of people out there are like me yet still have a thirst for knowledge, and I think that a good productive thing to do would to start having reading groups where people get together and read out loud and have (cont above)
catgumart 2 years ago
"Marx's Kapital for Beginners" by Smith & Evans can be read online (sans illustrations) @ revleft . com. Search for the title and you'll see a sticky thread (marked in red text).
I'd link to it directly, but you know how YouTube is. :-/
NamelessCommenter 2 years ago
You believe in the Althusserian bifurcation of the young "idealist" Marx and the mature "scientific" Marx?
isedairi 2 years ago
no.
brendanmcooney 2 years ago
No, I don't. The so called "humanist" account is simply Marx in its entirety.
pastrychef1985 2 years ago
Hey B, what do you think about the zietgiest movement?
1studentoftruth 2 years ago
I think it is absurdly idiotic on so many levels. I can't wait to do a video about how much I hate it. But I'll have to wait because I have a busy summer ahead of me.
brendanmcooney 2 years ago
Does Zeitgeist movement = Postmodernism?
While the latter was Vogue (1989) Alex Callinicos's book "Against Postmodernism : A Marxist Critique" realy stood out in the bookstore. Worth reading today for a hightened sense of vindication (not that we have a shortage of it).
anagnostic 2 years ago
I don't think it's a complete waste. Their critique of market systems is opening the eyes of many former Ron Paul bots, thanks to the overlapping critiques of the FED, which draws them in. So that's a positive. And the concept of taking stock of resources is always a good thing to get people thinking about. I don't think it's worth tearing apart, TBH. It can only alienate them. They lump communism in with capitalism as untenable, but I suspect it's a desire to not get smeared with the red brush.
NamelessCommenter 2 years ago
Other books for a general Marxist education - Marxism is more than politecon!:
Marx: On the Jewish Question
Fromm: Marx' Concept of Man
Fromm: The Fear of Freedom
Meszaros: Marx' Theory of Alienation
Vygotsky: Thinking and Speech
Voloshinov: Marxism and the Philosophy of Language
Adorno/Horkheimer: Dialectic of Enlightenment
Tressell: The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
Freire: The Pedagogy of the Oppressed
pastrychef1985 2 years ago 2
Haha your copy of Capital is so fucked up, how awesome.
Irtidad 2 years ago 2
Heh, I remember him holding up his copy of Capital in another video and it was brand new. The most-loved books always receive the most wear. :-)
NamelessCommenter 2 years ago
For the record, I have two copies.
brendanmcooney 2 years ago
The Marx-Engels Reader is a good book. Even I own a copy of it. It's very useful, especially if you can't get to the Marxist Internet Archive or Marx2Mao websites because your internet is down. Everything from Marx and Engels that you need is right there in the book, so you don't have to wait to search after your connection is fixed.
RedNickII 2 years ago
ordered das capital so that should be interesting tryin to get through it lol
hardon89 2 years ago
*Towards a New Socialism by W. Paul Cockshott and Allin Cottrell
*Man's Worldly Goods by Leo Huberman
dagstidning 2 years ago
Towards a New Socialism is a great work! One of the few books that attempts to theorise and formulate a new society, although we cannot be prescriptive. ;-)
pastrychef1985 2 years ago
there was a book for beginners lenin wrote ill try to remember it for all of you. i was told it is a good introduction into communism
prjctcivilian 2 years ago
Thanx Brendan... on to pt.2
TheBigHo111 2 years ago
You look tired...get some sleep!
-hug-
eskimofinn 2 years ago
I wanna read the Big Book now !!!
Are you familiar with Major Clifford Hugh Douglas criticism of Marx? I came across C.H.Douglas' "Economic Democracy" while studying Ezra Pound. I believe Douglas had a problem with how Marx framed WORK and value. Marx used labor to determine value but Douglas believed it should be worked out in terms of energy.
That paragraph above might reveal how little i know about any of this stuff but I'll learn.
machinenation 2 years ago
I'm not familiar with Douglas but your comment made me read his wikipedia entry which I found very amusing.
brendanmcooney 2 years ago
its really good ive read the first one you mentioned
prjctcivilian 2 years ago
Very interest concept Douglas has. energy is the only real barometer we have of what is accomplishable and what is not (going forward).
hume12345 2 years ago
@hume12345 "energy is the only real barometer going forward"
It's an interesting one alright. I'm not too sure I'm familiar with what he means about price and energy (how does a piece of artwork get valued?) but the idea that engineering minds and scientific brains have been trying to put us all out of work since the industrial revolution is worth exploring today in a bigger debate.
Is there so much surplus that we need a "National Dividend" to distribute it? Could be happening as we speak
machinenation 2 years ago
I'm not surprised that CH Douglas is making a comeback in the time of recession. He argued that economic crises occurred simply as a result of the lack of purchasing power of the workers, ie it is not the result of declining profits. Because he also (erroneously) believed that bankers create credit and money "at the stroke of a pen" he thought that banks should just issue loans. This would be obviously inflationary.
barrymarshall 2 years ago