Liberation School introduction This is the first English translation of this speech—titled “Blacks must take responsibility for their own history and contribute to universal civilization"—and the second installment in a Liberation School series of previously...
What is alienation? The development and legacy of Marx’s early theory
Editor’s note: A Spanish translation of this article is available here. Introduction Offering a brief introduction to Marx’s theory of alienation is not a straightforward task. This is due, in part, to conflicting interpretations of key aspects of Marx’s project...
The base-superstructure: A model for analysis and action
Introduction Although Marx himself only mentioned the “base” and “superstructure” in (by my count) two of his works, the base-superstructure “problem” remains a source of serious contention for Marxists, our sympathizers, and our critics. Despite its outsized role in...
Marxism, capitalism, and nature-society relations: An introduction
Introduction Environmentalists have long stressed limits to human interaction with nature. It’s commonly argued that transgressing “natural limits” caused the environmental crises we face today. While this sentiment might direct our attention to the severity and scale...
What is imperialism? An introduction
Editor's note: A Spanish translation of this article is available here. In the suffering of the Global South, the brutality of capitalism lies bare. In a footnote toward the end of Capital, Marx wrote that the colonized subject reveals “what the bourgeois makes of...
What is ideology? An introduction to the Marxist theory of ideology
Editor’s note: A Spanish translation of this article is available here. Introduction Marxist ideology is one of the most potent weapons the working and oppressed classes have, a weapon that our class can and has used to not only win reforms but to build revolutionary...
Walter Rodney’s revolutionary praxis: An interview with D. Musa Springer
The following interview, facilitated by Derek Ford, took place via e-mail during June and July in preparation for Black August, when progressive organizers and activists deepen our study of and commitment to the Black struggle in the U.S. and the anti-colonial and...
Reading Capital with Comrades: A Liberation School podcast series
Liberation School is proud to release our new podcast series, "Reading Capital with Comrades." The series--which is now available on Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms--not only makes the first volume of Karl Marx's Capital accessible to a new...
Surplus value is the class struggle: An introduction
Editor's note: A Spanish translation of this article is available here. Introduction The notion that the rich are rich because they’re frugal, smart, entrepreneurial, and hardworking, and that the poor are poor because they’re wasteful, lazy, stupid, and irresponsible...