Part 1
By Chris Talbot, WSWS.og, June 17, 2009
This is the first of a three-part series comprising a lecture by WSWS correspondent Chris Talbot to meetings of the International Students for Social Equality in Britain. Part 2 was posted on June 18 and Part 3 on June 19.
We have organised these meetings of the International Students for Social Equality in honour of Charles Darwin from a different standpoint from the many other bicentenary events. We want to bring out the connection between Darwin and that other great thinker of the mid-19th century, Karl Marx.
The importance of Marx hits you when you take in the events of the last few months. We are now in a world economic crisis comparable to, if not more severe than, that of the 1930s, which will have a major effect on all of our futures. Current economic theory completely failed to predict this crisis. The economists cannot explain how it happened and have no answer to it [1]. In contrast, Karl Marx spent much of his life developing an economic analysis that explains the inherent instability of capitalism and provides a scientific basis for the development of the socialist working class movement.
Tags: Charles Darwin, Chris Talbot, economics, historical evolution in Nature, importance of Marx, Karl Marx, On the Origin of Species, political economy of capitalism, rise of imperialism and two world wars, significance of Darwin
Peace and Justice Post 
November 27, 2009 at 3:20 am |
Well Khan sir!
I have seen your blog some 1 or 1-1/2 months back and found that you were a native of Kashmir. As I’m from India and strongly support the nationhood of Kashmir some interest has developed about you and your blog. But after finding your educational background I have limited myself from contacting you in someway or other like the present one. But today I have seen the name of Marx and observed closely to find yourself being an author of some books on Marx. My interest on you has taken rather a relatively full form. Marxism helped me to contact you. And here itself I want to pose a question -who the hell said that the Marxism had died? See with open eyes; It came here on the virtual world and helped an infant to meet a well matured & tall(not physical) person.
Because, I too have great interest in Marxism. Not only interest, I’m trying to study the works of Marx and Engels for which I have collected 18 of their collected works with extensive efforts. I could collect only first 3 parts of ‘Das Capital’.
I had been an activist of a students organisation associated with a ML party of India while studying BE(Engineering) in Andhra University during 1985-89. Bad health forced me to discontinue my Bachelor Degree in earlier period of the final year. From then onwards after recovering I continued my work in the organisation. Again due to ‘depression’ complaint, which was diagnosed only at my age of 22 but prevailing since childhood, and with strong command rather advice of the psychiatrist I had to discontinue my organisation work and join a clerical job in life insurance company. Even my engagement with office work could not kill my passion towards Marxism – Leninism. I continued my association with theory and largely reduced practice. I want to stress here that I could survive the contradictions of the society with deep rooted divisions of severally natured, which causes deep worries to sensitive persons like me, only with the ideological strength acquired through Marxism. I proudly tell it to any one so concerned.
I used to have some deep thinking of the existence of the universe and the societal dynamics of day to day life since my childhood though incomplete. Such deep thinking continued with my growing age and finally driven me to read the basics of dialectical and historical materialism. I found great correlation (though very roughly) between my thoughts and essential elements of the philosophy. This happened at 18yrs of my age. After studying to some more extent the theory, and the introduction of ‘Capital’ in my native language ‘Telugu’ I was in cloud 9 as if I discovered my beloved one. Because what I found was the very subject that had been generating deep confusion in my head with my surroundings at every stage of my age. I had been suffocating with so many unanswered questions till then. With my introduction to the basic elements of the Marxism all of my questions were solved. All of my years of confusion simply disappeared like a magic. From then onwards I have been regularly discovering the greatness of Marxism and Leninism till today.
I have read the review with deep enthusiasm. I’m happy that your book touched a sensuous subject that elaborates the development of Karl Marx from a democrat to Communist. I have found some mild distractions (supposed) which may disappear after studying the actual book. I will write again after 1 or 2 days. Time is already 1:40 am.
Let me express my advance regrets if I bored you with my personal introductions.
-nvs (nvijays.wordpress.com -nvs’ Blog). Mail: yid.info@gmail.com.
LikeLike