We are proud to announce that over 1,800 people from an incredible 100 countries have now registered for the International Marxist University 2022 (#IMU22). The biggest international gathering of Marxists this year is now less than 50 days away. A four-day festival of Marxist ideas, #IMU22 will be held online and at watch parties across the globe from 23 to 26 July. Register now and join us in the fight for revolution!
The school will consist of 14 sessions, following three strands, which form the three component parts of Marxism: philosophy (dialectical materialism), historical materialism, and economics. As well as giving an in-depth introduction to the ideas that are essential to overthrow capitalism, this event will give a sense of the breadth of these ideas. Below is a sample of some of the things that we will be discussing.
But there is no need to wait until #IMU22 begins. For every session, we’ve put together recommended reading lists, so that all comrades can get the most out of the event.
As Lenin stated, “without revolutionary theory, there can be no revolutionary movement”. So check out Wellred Books, the publishing house of the International Marxist Tendency, to explore the wide range of Marxist classics and new Marxist titles available, and get a head start on your reading. See you at the International Marxist University 2022!
Watch Jorge Martín, editor of In Defence of Marxism and co-author of Permanent Revolution in Latin America, introduce his talk on the brutal invasion of the Americas. In Capital, Marx explained how capitalism “came dripping from head to foot, from every pore, with blood and dirt.” What little of this history that we learn about from school and the media is largely delivered in a highly sanitised form. The conquest of the Americas was a pivotal moment in the ascent of capitalism – a conquest that was accompanied by some of the worst atrocities in humanity's history, including wars, genocide and slavery.
Recommended Reading:
- The Spanish conquest of Mexico: a Marxist perspective
- Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano
Watch Adam Booth, editor of Socialist Appeal and co-author of Understanding Capital, introduce his talk ‘Marxism, Money and Inflation’. The world economy is wracked by chaos, which is feeding into class struggle all over the globe. But this anarchy of the market and the uncertainty it is causing in ordinary people’s lives is no accident. It is an intrinsic product of the capitalist economy, driven as it is by production for profit. There has never been a more essential time to understand why capitalism is a crisis-ridden system and how it can be overthrown. [NOTE: keep an eye out for the forthcoming issue of In Defence of Marxism magazine, which features an article on ‘Marxism, Money and Inflation’ by Adam Booth]
Recommended Reading:
- What is Money
- Inflation and instability: contradictions mount for capitalism
- Marxism vs Modern Monetary Theory
Watch Daniel Morley, of the In Defence of Marxism editorial board and speaker on the podcast series ‘The ABCs of Marxist Philosophy’ on Marxist Voice, introduce ‘The Marxist Theory of Knowledge: how do we know things?’. It is vital for revolutionaries to understand the way that knowledge comes from the world, cutting through the confusion of bourgeois philosophy and so-called scientific journals that question whether there even is a material world outside our own individual experience, let alone whether we can understand the world.
Recommended Reading:
- Anti-Duhring, Part One
- Reason In Revolt, The Theory of Knowledge