Marxist Voice

Every revolutionary organisation says it wants to win the working class. So why do so many end up talking only to themselves?Joe Russell explains what Marxists mean by sectarianism, where it comes from, and how communists can patiently build support among workers without abandoning revolutionary politics. Drawing on the lessons of Lenin and Trotsky, this episode looks at how a genuine communist party is built.

Britain was once the workshop of the world. Today, British capitalism is struggling with stagnant growth, declining productivity, collapsing public services and a deepening economic crisis.In this discussion, Adam Booth examines the decline of British capitalism and the historical roots of Britain’s economic problems. Why has British industry gone into decline? Why is productivity so low? What lies behind Britain’s weak economic growth, rising inequality and crisis-ridden politics? And can British capitalism overcome the contradictions that have brought it to this point?From the decline of the British Empire and the loss of industrial supremacy to the privatisation of the economy, this episode looks at British capitalism, imperialism, class struggle and the crisis of the British ruling class from a Marxist perspective.

In this episode of Marxist Voice, Ben Gliniecki, General Secretary of the RCP, outlines the Marxist theory of the state, explains why the Epstein revelations have exposed the true nature of liberal democracy, and discusses how a working-class alternative to bourgeois rule can emerge through dual power.Drawing on Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Trotsky, Ben explains how the capitalist state was born to defend minority class rule, and why it has always relied on a "veil" of ideology and reform to disguise that fact. He looks at how decades of economic crisis have stripped that veil away, and how the Epstein scandal, implicating politicians, diplomats, and academics across the political spectrum, is a symptom of that collapse, not an isolated case of corruption.Ben also examines the theory and history of dual power, from the Councils of Action in the 1926 General Strike to the Russian Revolution, and explains why the reformist leadership of the labour movement remains the central obstacle to revolutionary change today.

Did Napoleon change history? Did Lenin make the Russian Revolution? Or do individuals simply express much deeper historical forces?Jack Tye Wilson tackles one of the biggest questions in Marxist theory: the relationship between the individual and society. This episode explains how history is really made, and why understanding this matters for revolutionaries today.

The Frankfurt School has had an enormous influence on universities, culture and much of the modern left. But how does Critical Theory compare with the Marxist method?Daniel Morley examines the ideas of Adorno, Horkheimer and Marcuse, explaining where they came from, why they became so influential, and why Marxists reject their philosophical and political conclusions.

Trade wars, inflation, recession, debt and protectionism; the world economy has entered a new and unstable period. But why?Adam Booth explains the laws governing capitalism in the imperialist epoch, drawing on Marx, Lenin and Trotsky to explain why the system has entered an era of crisis, conflict and revolutionary upheaval.If you want to understand the world economy through the lens of Marxism, this is the place to start.

Silvia Federici has become one of the most widely read ‘socialist feminists’ of the last fifty years. But is her explanation of women's oppression Marxist, and does it work? Sarah Vedrovitch examines Federici's ideas on housework, social reproduction and the origins of capitalism, comparing them with the revolutionary conclusions of Marx and Engels on freeing women. Frederici imagines she is building on Marx and Engels, looking at capitalism through a lens forgotten by orthodox Marxists. But is this actually true? Books to delve deeper: Origins of the Family, Private Property and the State, The fall of woman, Women, Family and the Russian Revolution 

Marx and Engels didn't develop their ideas in a vacuum. They built on centuries of philosophical development, including the ideas of the English materialists.Georgina Ryan explores how thinkers like Francis Bacon, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke challenged religious explanations of the world and helped lay the foundations for modern science and, ultimately, Marxism. At the same time, she explains why Marxism goes beyond the limitations of mechanical materialism.

How did philosophy begin? And why are arguments from over 2,000 years ago still central to Marxism today?In this episode of Marxist Voice, Khaled Malachi traces the origins of materialism and idealism in Ancient Greece. From Plato's world of perfect ideas to Aristotle's more grounded approach, we explore the philosophical roots of dialectical materialism and why Marxists continue to study these thinkers.Whether you're new to Marxist philosophy or looking to deepen your understanding, this is an ideal introduction to one of the biggest debates in human history.Books to delve deeper:  History of Philosophy

Art is a necessity of life which is kept shackled by the profit motive. Art is something which workers yearn for. But what really is art? And can it change the world? What is the relationship between art and revolution, and revolutionaries? In this talk from the RCP summer camp, Nelson Wan discusses all these questions. Books to delve deeper: Art and Revolution, The necessity of art