“Without Revolutionary theory, there can be no Revolutionary Movement.”

­— Vladimir Lenin, What is to be Done? | Audiobook

It’s time to read theory, comrades! As Lenin says, “Despair is typical of those who do not understand the causes of evil, see no way out, and are incapable of struggle.” Marxism-Leninism is broken into 3 major components, as noted by Lenin in his pamphlet The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism: | Audiobook

  1. Dialectical and Historical Materialism

  2. Critique of Capitalism along the lines of Marx’s Law of Value

  3. Advocacy for Revolutionary and Scientific Socialism

As such, I created the following list to take you from no knowledge whatsoever of Leftist theory, and leave you with a strong understanding of the critical fundamentals of Marxism-Leninism in an order that builds up as you read. Let’s get started!

Section I: Getting Started

What the heck is Communism, anyways? For that matter, what is fascism?

  1. Friedrich Engels’ Principles of Communism | Audiobook

The FAQ of Communism, written by the Luigi of the Marx & Engels duo. Quick to read, and easy to reference, this is the perfect start to your journey.

  1. Michael Parenti’s Blackshirts and Reds | Audiobook

Parenti’s characteristic wit is on full display in this historical contextualization and analysis of fascism and Communism. Line after line, Parenti debunks anti-Communist myths. This is also an excellent time to watch the famous “Yellow Parenti” speech.

Section II: Historical and Dialectical Materialism

Ugh, philosophy? Really? YES!

  1. Georges Politzer’s Elementary Principles of Philosophy | Audiobook

By understanding Dialectical and Historical Materialism first, you make it easier to understand the rest of Marxism-Leninism. Don’t be intimidated!

  1. Friedrich Engels’ Socialism: Utopian and Scientific | Audiobook

Engels introduces Scientific Socialism, explaining how Capitalism itself prepares the conditions for public ownership and planning by centralizing itself into monopolist syndicates and cartels.

Section III: Political Economy

That’s right, it’s time for the Law of Value and a deep-dive into Imperialism. If we are to defeat Capitalism, we must learn it’s mechanisms, tendencies, contradictions, and laws.

  1. Karl Marx’s Wage Labor and Capital | Audiobook & Wages, Price and Profit | Audiobook

Best taken as a pair, these essays simplify the most important parts of the Law of Value.

  1. Vladimir Lenin’s Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism | Audiobook

The era of Imperialism, which as the primary contradiction cascades downward into all manner of related secondary contradictions.

Section IV: Revolutionary and Scientific Socialism

Can we defeat Capitalism at the ballot box? What about just defeating fascism? What about the role of the state?

  1. Rosa Luxemburg’s Reform or Revolution | Audiobook

If Marxists believed reforming Capitalist society was possible, we would be the first in line for it. Sadly, it isn’t.

  1. Vladimir Lenin’s The State and Revolution | Audiobook

Further analyzes the necessity of Revolution and introduces the economic basis for the withering away of the State.

Section V: National Liberation, De-colonialism, and Solidarity

The revolution will not be fought by individuals, but by an intersectional, international working class movement. Solidarity allows different marginalized groups to work together in collective interest, unifying into a single broad movement. Marxists support the Right of Self-Determination for all peoples and support National Liberation movements against Imperialism.

  1. Vikky Storm & Eme Flores’ The Gender Accelerationist Manifesto | (No Audiobook yet)

Breaks down misogyny, and queerphobia, as well as how to move beyond the base subject of “gender” from a Historical Materialist perspective.

  1. Leslie Feinberg’s Lavender & Red | Audiobook

When different social groups fight for liberation together along intersectional lines, they are emboldened and empowered ever-further.

  1. Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth | Audiobook & Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed | Audiobook

De-colonialism is essential to Marxism. Without having a strong, de-colonial, internationalist stance, we have no path to victory nor justice. These books are best taken as a pair, read in quick succession.

Section VI: Putting it into Practice!

It’s not enough to endlessly read, you must put theory to practice. That is how you can improve yourself and the movements you support. Touch grass!

  1. Mao Tse-Tung’s On Practice & On Contradiction | Audiobook

Mao wrote simply and directly to peasant soldiers during the Revolutionary War in China. This pair of essays equip the reader to apply the analytical tools of Dialectical Materialism to their every day practice.

  1. Vladimir Lenin’s “Left-Wing” Communism, an Infantile Disorder | Audiobook

Common among new leftists is dogmatism over pragmatism. Everyone wants perfection, but dogmatic “left” anti-Communists let perfection become the enemy of progress.

  1. Jones Manoel’s Western Marxism Loves Purity and Martyrdom, But Not Real Revolution | (No Audiobook yet)

Common among western leftists is fetishization of Marxism, rather than using it as a tool for analysis and social change. This article helps rectify that.

  1. Liu Shaoqi’s How to be a Good Communist | Audiobook

Organizing is a skill. If we are to be successful, we must work to better ourselves.

Congratulations, you completed your introductory reading course!

With your new understanding and knowledge of Marxism-Leninism, here is a mini What is to be Done? of your own to follow, and take with you as practical advice.

  1. Get organized. The Party for Socialism and Liberation, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Red Star Caucus all organize year round, every year, because the battle for progress is a constant struggle. See if there is a chapter near you, or start one!

  2. Read theory. Don’t think that you are done now! Just because you have the basics, doesn’t mean you know more than you do. If you have not investigated a subject, don’t speak on it!

  3. Aggressively combat white supremacy, misogyny, queerphobia, and other attacks on marginalized communities. Cede no ground, let nobody go forgotten.

  4. Be industrious, and self-sufficient. Take up gardening, home repair, tinkering. It is through practice that you elevate your knowledge.

  5. Learn self-defense. Get armed, if practical. Be ready to protect yourself and others.

  6. Be persistent. If you feel like a single water droplet against a mountain, think of canyons and valleys. With consistency, every rock, boulder, mountain, can be drilled through with nothing but water droplets.

“Everything under heaven is in utter chaos; the situation is excellent.”

­— Mao Tse-Tung

Credits

  • Dessalines@lemmy.ml
    11·
    20 days ago

    Thx, this is a great list!

    I can’t emphasize enough how good Socialism - Utopian and Scientific, and State and revolution are. Possibly the best shorter political works in their given centuries.

    • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.mlOP
      7·
      20 days ago

      No problem! Wanted to have something of my own to share any time I think it might be wanted, plus with the aftermath of the US election many US liberals are more open to radicalization.

      Fully agree on Socialism: Utopian and Scientific and State and Rev, both are some of the most useful for understanding Scientific Socialism and the necessity of revolution.

      Thanks for your input!

    • ComradeSharkfucker@lemmy.mlEnglish
      4·
      20 days ago

      State and Revolution was what convinced me of communism. Black shirts and Reds radicalized me but State and Revolution educated me and convinced me of the necessity of revolution. I straight up could not define what a state was before I read that 💀

  • bigbrowncommie69 [any]@hexbear.netEnglish
    111·
    20 days ago

    Idk, all these books are pretty old and (I think they’ve been written by authoritarians). I say we just wing it and hope for the best. /,s

  • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
    111·
    15 days ago

    Open for feedback! Want to have this intro list I made as a post I can easily reference with a quick link. I can take this down or edit it if it breaks any rules. Hope I’ve covered all the necessary bases!

    Feel free to ask any questions in the comments as well, I’ll do my best to answer. It doesn’t need to specifically be about this list either, it can be a general Marxism question as well!

    Also working on a “DLC Pack” for this list for further reading. I’d appreciate any suggestions!

    Edit: internationalized the language to not be US-centric (changed “The Democrats will not save us” to “Liberals will not save us” and “Grand Canyon” to “canyons and valleys”).

    Edit 2: cleaned up and trimmed extra words that were unnecessary (possible expansion) and added Red Star Caucus and MUG to the org list at @OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml request.

    Edit 3: added Pedagogy of the Oppressed and emphasized the Marxist stance on National Liberation and the Right of Self-Determination.

    Edit 4: added “Left-Wing” Communism at the request of @yogthos@lemmy.ml

    Edit 5: added How to be a Good Communist per the request of a (for now) anonymous comrade.

    Edit 6: optimization of link character use thanks to @Edie@lemmy.ml

    Edit 7: added Western Marxism Loves Purity and Martyrdom, But Not Real Revolution at the suggestion of @ReadFanon@hexbear.net

  • Urist@lemmy.mlEnglish
    7·
    19 days ago

    Having seen you sharing this list multiple times in the comments lately, I have been thinking “man, this should be a proper post”. Great work and thanks for educating us, comrade o7

    • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.mlOP
      71·
      19 days ago

      Thank you for checking it out! Now more than ever is a great opportunity for reading theory and radicalization, so I’ve been sharing it when I can.

  • ShinkanTrain@lemmy.mlEnglish
    7·
    20 days ago

    who the fuck is scraeming “READ THEORY” at my house. show yourself, coward. i will never read theory

  • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
    51·
    20 days ago

    Walter Rodney’s How Europe Underdeveloped Africa would be a good addition to this list as well as his other book Decolonial Marxism. Both have audiobooks available.

    They’re very helpful in understanding underdevelopment, dependency theory, unequal exchange, and the colonial mode of production which places and keeps superexploited labor as low as possible on the production chain either in primary production/resource extraction or in very basic secondary production, where then these resources are exported to the metropoles for further refinement.

    • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.mlOP
      51·
      20 days ago

      Good idea! Do you have any suggestions on what I should remove, if anything? I am nearing the limits on character count I believe. I tried to get Decolonialism through Fanon’s work, but am open to making it more of an emphasis.

      Alternatively, I could add them to my planned “DLC list” with a long list of other great works and short descriptions so people can choose where to focus upon finishing this list. Works like Settlers and Oppose Book Worship, everything that doesn’t quite fit but should be essential reading anyways, is DLC material.

      • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
        41·
        20 days ago

        Oof, I don’t know if I’d remove anything either? There’s so much out there to read that I’d struggle making a concise list.

        So on second thought, maybe actually Walter Rodney could be part of a separate introduction to decolonisation?

        • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.mlOP
          51·
          20 days ago

          I’ll keep that in mind!

          It was a strict requirement for this list to include work on Decolonialism, so I believe Fanon does that the best in a single work. That way, we remove the risk of people simply taking whatever materially benefits themselves, and push the internationalist, intersectional angle.

          The DLC list will likely be broken up into sections so if someone wants further reading on decolonialism, that can be properly provided.

      • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmy.ml
        4·
        19 days ago

        I think the list is great as is, but minor suggestions. It might be an idea bump the state and rev higher up because it directly tackles a lot of the debates we’re seeing currently on the left. It explains the nature of the state and addresses the whole reformism and working within the system idea very thoroughly. I’d argue it’s one of the most relevant texts for understanding the current political moment out there. I’d also recommend the excellent What Is To Be Done? (Abridged) from Red Sails https://redsails.org/witbd-rs-abridged/ as it’s more accessible.

        And it’s worth mentioning “Left-Wing” Communism: an Infantile Disorder as well since it deals with practical organization, and how to balance pragmatism with staying principled. I think it’s a great overview of what a communist party should strive for.

        • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.mlOP
          1·
          19 days ago

          I can swap section 3 and 4, so State and Rev comes up earlier. I would have to remove Reform or Revolution or a different work to add more theory, but I’ll keep your suggestions in mind, thanks. I agree that “Left-Wing” Communism is a great work for avoiding common pitfalls, but running into the character limit really forces me to pick and choose.

          What are your thoughts, if you don’t mind?

          • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmy.ml
            2·
            19 days ago

            I don’t know that I’d take anything out, all the sources you’ve already got there are great. I think it’s honestly a very good intro as is, so totally up to your discretion. :)

            • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.mlOP
              2·
              19 days ago

              Thanks, I appreciate it! Might see if I can trim some fat and throw “Left-Wing” Communism at the end, and maybe Pedagogy of the Oppressed right after Wretched as other comrades have recommended.

                • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.mlOP
                  2·
                  18 days ago

                  By the way, I did end up squeezing in “Left-Wing” Communism," PotO, and added How to be a Good Communist by Liu Shaoqi, so there should be a much stronger focus on National Liberation and principled yet practical organization, both of which were lacking in the original revision of my list IMO. Thanks for the suggestion!

    • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.mlOP
      41·
      19 days ago

      Love the content of that list, hate that it uses Google Analytics. I used to share that list around too, but after a comrade pointed it out I’ve refrained for OPSEC reasons. If you are okay with it, I can personally back it up as a good list even if I made my own list based on my own overall preferences. That’s part of why I am making my own list instead!

      Thanks for sharing!

  • ReadFanon [any, any]@hexbear.netEnglish
    3·
    15 days ago

    I know that the character limit is tight but I just remembered that the short piece by Jones Manoel titled Western Marxism Loves Purity and Martyrdom, But Not Real Revolution could have saved me years wasted as an eclectic radical. I think it dovetails nicely after Left Communism but it’s updated and takes aim at people who idolise Che yet despise Castro and Stalin, that sort of thing.

    I’d like to suggest it, if there’s room and you think it’s suitable. Also if you haven’t read it yet, goddamn you should because it’s really incisive.

    • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.mlOP
      3·
      15 days ago

      Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll give it a look, it sounds like it shares a lot of what I’ve noticed with the Western Left especially. Sounds like a good place to fit it too, I’ll give it a good consideration. I like the list as it is now, but if after reading I find it necessary to include I’ll see if I can trim the characters a bit and squeeze it in.

      As always, greatly appreciate it!

      Edit: just read it, great article. I’ll try to squeeze it in!

      • ReadFanon [any, any]@hexbear.netEnglish
        3·
        15 days ago

        For real, whenever I come across a baby leftist I have to restrain myself from acting like some sort of deranged person from a time travelling scifi movie who has come back to warn people about the dire reality of the future while I recite this article at them at a near-shouting volume.

        Instead I’m like “Oh um, you know, uhhh… just be careful of the political organisations who sell you on this idea of them being the valiant underdog and how great everything could have been if only they weren’t robbed of their opportunity. You want to find an organisation that has a positive future perspective rather than just lamenting the past.”

        • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.mlOP
          3·
          15 days ago

          Haha, yep! It becomes a fetishization of Marxist theory, rather than using Marxism as a tool for social change. I don’t know if you saw my edit, but I will try to squeeze it in!

          • ReadFanon [any, any]@hexbear.net
            3·
            15 days ago

            I don’t know if you saw my edit, but I will try to squeeze it in!

            Of course I didn’t see your edit. Do I strike you as one of those ?

            Just kidding. About the hostile tone that is. I actually didn’t see it but that’s awesome thanks for letting me know. Also know that your comment inspired me to make this and submit it to the emoji comm lmao

  • superkret@feddit.org
    42·
    19 days ago

    Quote from the second link:

    The proletariat is that class in society which draws its means of livelihood wholly and solely from the sale of its labour and not from the profit from any kind of capital

    So anyone with any sort of retirement plan or a bit of money invested is not part of the proletariat.

    The proletariat, or class of proletarians, is, in a word, the working class of the nineteenth century.

    Yeah, that tracks. How relevant is it to today’s world, though?

    The proletarian can free himself only by abolishing private property in general.
    The proletarian frees himself by abolishing competition, private property and all class differences.

    I wonder how many people today who call themselves “Communist” would actually be fine with that.
    It’s our car now, comrade.

    • Alsephina@lemmy.mlEnglish
      9·
      19 days ago

      The proletarian frees himself by abolishing competition, private property and all class differences.

      I wonder how many people today who call themselves “Communist” would actually be fine with that.
      It’s our car now, comrade.

      Communists seek the abolishment of private property — property owned by capitalists used to extract surplus value from workers, like real estate, corporations, IPs, etc. Not personal property which is property you use yourself, like your house (even if it’s rented from a capitalist; they should not own your house as private property in the first place) or your car.

      It’s all explained in the books listed.

    • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.mlOP
      101·
      19 days ago

      Good questions!

      1. Yes and no. This is class reductionism, a dogmatic approach to Class distinctions, however you are getting to where the Petite Bourgeoisie and Proletariat start to solidify. The Proletariat must labor to live, the Petite Bourgeoisie must labor to live too, but work using Capital they own. ie, workers vs small business owners. Having some 401k investments does not make you petite bourgeoisie, you still fund your livelihood off of your labor and your labor alone. There are elements of Labor Aristocracy and other, more complicated parts of class dynamics, especially with respect to Imperialism, but that concept can be shelved for now. You’ll come to it later if you stick with this list, and it will make more sense then.

      2. Class dynamics are still relevant today. The proletariat includes office workers, but also still includes the factory workers overseas who still produce everything! The Global North didn’t move beyond factories, but exported most of them to Global South countries the Global North can exploit even more. Parenti makes his case for this in the last section of Blackshirts, the next book on the list.

      3. Every Communist accepts abolition of Private Property. A fully socialized economy is publicly owned and centrally planned. This means no private property. No, Communists are not saying you can’t have a toothbrush or gaming PC of your own, that’s why they distinguish between Private, Public, and Personal property. There are many Communists that want all or almost all transportation to be publicly owned, yes, but that comes with proper city planning and infrastructure to allow for it to be practical.

      Hope that helps!