Change the World Without Taking Power: The Meaning of Revolution TodayThe series of demonstrations since Seattle have crystallised a new trend in left-wing politics. Popular support across the world for the Zapatista uprising and the enthusiasm which it has inspired has led to new types of protest movement that ground their actions on both Marxism and Anarchism. These movements are fighting for radical social change in terms that have nothing to do with the taking of state power. This is in clear opposition to the traditional Marxist theory of revolution which centres on taking state power. In this book, John Holloway asks how we can reformulate our understanding of revolution as the struggle against power, not for power.After a century of failed attempts by revolutionary and reformist movements to bring about radical social change, the concept of revolution itself is in crisis. John Holloway opens up the theoretical debate, reposing some of the basic concepts of Marxism in a critical development of the subversive Marxist tradition represented by Adorno, Bloch and Lukacs, amongst others, and grounded in a rethinking of Marx's concept of 'fetishisation'-- how doing is transformed into being. The struggle for radical change, Holloway argues, far from being marginalised, is becoming more and more embedded in our everyday lives. Revolution today must be understood as a question, not as an answer. |
Contents
Beyond the State? | 11 |
Beyond Power? | 19 |
The Tragic Dilemma | 43 |
Copyright | |
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Change the World Without Taking Power: The Meaning of Revolution Today John Holloway No preview available - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
abstract activity Adorno alienation antagonism anti-power argument autonomist autonomy basis becomes Bonefeld bourgeois capital capital's capitalist capitalist social relations capitalist society central change the world class consciousness class relation class struggle commodity consciousness constitution create crisis criticise criticism critique defined definition dehumanisation denied depends dialectics dignity dis-articulation discussion doer domination economic emancipation emphasis Engels existence exploitation fetishised flight force forms of social fragmentation Hardt and Negri historical human identification identity inevitably insubordination labour power law of value live Lukács Marx Marx's Marxism Marxist economics means movement negation negative non-identity non-subordination notion oppression organisation orthodox Marxism Party perspective political power-over power-to problem production proletariat question radical reality reification reproduction revolution revolutionary scientific scientific socialism scream seen sense separation of subject serfs simply social flow social relations subject and object subordination surplus value taking power tariat theoretical theory things thought understanding understood workers Zapatista