Summer School 2025
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Bookings are now open for this year’s Summer School, which is being held in Worcester on 22nd – 24th August. The theme for the weekend’s talks is ‘What Is Marxism?’. More details can be found here http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/summer-school-2025/ and further updates will be posted over the coming months.
I’m pleased to announce the first of the talks at this year’s Summer School. Keith Graham will be presenting ‘Marxism and Marx – Can They Ever Be Friends?’
Karl Marx was both a theorist and a political activist, and in both cases many people have either claimed his name or had it inflicted on them. This talk will consider what things Marxists would have to say and do to merit the name. The most prominent political movement claiming his name is or was Marxism-Leninism. Two common theoretical stances are those of Western Marxism and analytical Marxism. In each case they will be measured against the most plausible relevant commitments which can be attributed to Marx. While they vary widely in their nature, in each case it will be suggested that in some respects or other they all fall short of an accurate reflection of Marx’s own views.The other sessions are in the pipeline, and more details will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information about the event, go to https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/summer-school-2025/
I’m happy to announce another talk at this year’s ‘What Is Marxism?’ Summer School. Howard Moss will be asking ‘Do Socialists Need Marx?’
It has been said that, when socialism is established, it will be without the majority of the people who establish it knowing much if anything about Marx. And with reference to now, when the socialist case is put to people, they can easily be put off if it is closely associated with Marxism. This is because Marxism is commonly represented either as something that has been tried and failed (e.g. the Soviet Union) or, when seen as existing now, some kind of authoritarian political system (e.g. China). It is also often associated with small left-wing groups wedded to the ideas of Lenin or Trotsky, which most people also find unattractive. So should the SPGB, while in its theory espousing many (though not all) of the ideas about capitalism and socialism put forward by Marx, claim these as an integral part of its case for socialism? Or should it at least avoid putting them in the forefront and focus instead on simply fostering an understanding of how capitalism works and why and how socialism should replace it – all based on the reality of the contemporary world and not on a theory put forward close to two centuries ago?Details of other sessions will be announced soon. The event is being held in Worcester on 22nd – 24th August, and for more information, visit https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/summer-school-2025/
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