Non-Leninist Marxism: Writings on the Worker's Councils [Paperback]

Hermann Gorter (Author), Anton Pannekoek (Author), Sylvia Pankhurst (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2007

The recent collapse of the Soviet Union made clear the weaknesses and deficiencies in Leninist theory and practice. In the period between the World Wars, however, an entirely different trend of socialist thought had briefly flowered in Europe, a trend which rejected the Leninist model of centralized party and state, and instead affirmed the democratic self-emancipation of the working class. This movement was "council communism". "Non-Leninist Marxism" presents a selection of the most influential writings from the council communists, including Hermann Gorter, Anton Pannekoek, Sylvia Pankhurst, and Otto Ruhl.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Red and Black Publishers (July 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979181364
• ISBN-13: 978-0979181368
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,336,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Important and Well Selected Collection, August 21, 2007

By 

Peter Urban "Council Communist" (San Francisco,) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Non-Leninist Marxism: Writings on the Worker's Councils (Paperback)

This is an important and well selected of writings by some of the leading figures in the Council Communist tendency of revolutionary Marxism. Most of the writings included in this volume have been largely unavailable in print for some time and their return to publication is an extremely welcome development.

The books leads off with Hermann Gorter's Open Letter to Comrade Lenin, which is a powerful response to Lenin's Left-Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder and also include's Gorter's arguments for the founding of the (original) 4th international, the Communist Workers' International. After Sylvia Pankhurst's primer on the nature of post-revolutionary society, the book concludes with Otto Ruhle's Revolution is Not a Party Affair on the importance of focus on the economic organization of the working class, not merely for reforms of traditional trade unionism, but as a vehicle for revolutionary action and, finally, with the letter from Ruhle to his comrades in the KAPD written from Russia, after deciding to not participate in the third congress of the Comintern. The latter work is an excellent note to end on, providing an inside glimpse into the cynical opportunism into which the Russian Communists were swiftly degenerating, while displaying the unbending revolutionary resolve and tremendous depth of courage the council communists displayed in confronting these developments.

There are two minor disappointments here, however, including the selections offered from Anton Pannekoek. One would have liked to have seen his later work The Workers' Councils, as well as his excellent Lenin As Philosopher. The other disappointment being the lack of any writings from Paul Mattick, who became the leading voice of council communism after the death of Pannekoek for most of the 20th Century.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good introductory collection, February 8, 2008

By 

Stephen Kay Cheng "Stephen Cheng" (Poughkeepsie, NY, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Non-Leninist Marxism: Writings on the Worker's Councils (Paperback)

This book is invaluable because it has writings from the historic ultra-left/council communists/left communists; Marxist currents which have been overshadowed by the more historically prominent Marxist-Leninist tendencies. More importantly, this book is also an English-language introduction for a US population that probably knows nothing about council/left communism but supposedly knows everything about capital-C "communism" (thanks in no small part to xenophobes such as Joseph McCarthy). Such a development is sad given that the US has been no stranger to class struggle, nor has it not been a home for its very own ultra-left (the Industrial Workers of the World. Red and Black Publishers also has a book of collected IWW writings for sale). May "Non-Leninist Marxism: Writings on the Worker's Councils" contribute to the fight against this ignorance!

Speaking for myself, reading the book has been a salutary experience. I've only begun studying the Marxian critique of political economy, and this compilation has helped me keep in mind *why* I'm opposed to capitalism in its fundamentals.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Basics of Councilism, March 21, 2008

By 

J. R. Davis (ozark bioregion) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Non-Leninist Marxism: Writings on the Worker's Councils (Paperback)

This book contains the early texts of the founders of the council communist movement. Council Communism is the only true form of communism that contains within it the entire historical movement towards real communism based upon Marx. It started out as a reaction against the statist excesses of the state-capitalist Leninist party worshippers, but grew to become the only real workers opposition to State and Late Capitalism. While I wish that a few extra texts were included this text is a great start. In the meanwhile let us take up the banner of councilism and proclaim a communism based neither on party or state.