What is to be Undone
A Modern Revolutionary Discussion of Classifcal Left Ideologies
Albert, Michael
http://books.zcommunications.org/books/WITBU/witbuTOC.html
Publisher: Porter Sargent Publisher, Boston, USA
Year Published: 1974
Pages: 336pp Resource Type: Book
Cx Number: CX7729
A massively confused straw-man critique of "marxist" and "anarchist" theories that exist only in the author's head.
Abstract:
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Table of Contents
Introduction
1. The New Left in the Sixties
2. The Purpose of Theory, Strategy, and Practice
3. Classical Marxist Theory
4. Leninist Strategy
5. A Critique of Bolshevik Practice
6. Critique of Leninist Strategy
7. Critique of Classical Marxist Theory
8. Critique of Classical Marxist Leninist Ideology
9. The Libertarian Anarchist Alternative
10. The Chinese Experience
11. Humanist and Neo-Marxism
12. A New "New Left" in the Seventies
Bibliography
In the introduction, the author writes:
We demystify, criticize, and uncover the roots of old-ideology weaknesses; we seek to learn from old-ideology strengths and we try to forge a set of guidelines for the task of eventually creating our own newer and better presently-relevant revolutionary ideology. We work from activist evaluative criteria. Rather than discussing all the best Marx and Lenin of the Collected Works, we discuss only the core of Classical Marxism Leninism as it was really employed by the Bolsheviks and as it's generally employed by sects today. Rather than struggling for 'philosophical precision,' we strive for practical relevant-to-use criticisms and alternative views. After emphasizing criticism in the discussion of Classical Marxism Leninism, rather than repeating that approach with Anarchism and Maoism, we turn more toward discovering positive aspects useful for us in the United States.
Chapter one gives a very brief descriptive analysis of late-sixties political movements. Its only purpose is to give force to the assertion that social change requires political insight; it also provides a background of some present movement needs to help orient our follow-up discussions.
Chapter two discusses the general nature of political consciousness in terms of the concepts of theory, strategy, and practice. It lays out an approach for studying political ideas we then use throughout the rest of the book.
Chapter three introduces Classical Marxism as a full consistent theory of social interaction, history, and revolution. The chapter presents Classical Marxism in a positive manner but in accordance with our critical expectations.
Chapter four introduces a significant portion of Classical Leninism. The effort is to objectively set out something close to what most Classical Leninists actually use in their day-to-day efforts, but again the discussion is organized and bounded in accordance with our critical desires.
Chapter five discusses Bolshevik Classical Marxist Leninist practice in young revolutionary Russia. While not explicitly discussing theory and strategy, it evaluates Bolshevik practice so as to lay a groundwork for critiquing the guiding ideology as well.
Chapter six evaluates Classical Leninism.
Chapter seven evaluates Classical Marxism, completing the examination from practice to strategy to theory.
Chapter eight summarizes the entire analysis.
Chapter nine discusses Anarchism, looking for new insights rather than deeply analyzing weaknesses.
Chapter ten discusses the Chinese experience, again looking more to find insights than to analyze recurring Classical or other weaknesses.
Chapter eleven discusses a number of Humanist Marxist and Neo-Marxist thinkers who go beyond Classical limitations.
And chapter twelve synthesizes previous results into a number of ideas about how an improved new United States political consciousness might be developed, about what it might look like, and about what it might accomplish.
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