Books published by Praxis Press

Making Our Own History argues that Marxist ideas derive their force from their deeply historical world view.

Marx200 examines the significance of Marxism for today's world. Leading scholars and activists from different countries - including Cuba, India and the UK - show that Marx's ideas continue to provide us with the analysis we need to understand our world today in order to change it. The relevance of Marx's contribution to political economy is discussed, as is Marxism and the ongoing battle of ideas. John McDonnell MP, Shadow Chancellor, writes about Marxism as a force for change in the 21st century. The leader of the Indian Communist Party, Sitaram Yechury, focuses on Marx's legacy 200 years on.Other wide-ranging topics demonstrating the relevance of Marxist ideas and approaches in the current climate include: 'neoliberalism, austerity and Marx', 'capitalism and new technology', 'Marxism and the environment', 'Marxism & Women','Marxism and culture' as well as 'the role of the state', 'Marxism and the present as history' and 'Populist nationalism'.The book is based on a major international conference organised by the Marx Memorial Library to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the birth of Karl Marx on 5 May 2018.Contents include: INTRODUCTIONMARY DAVISMarx200 - The Significance of Marxism in the 21st CenturyJOHN McDONNELLMarx as a Force for Change Today BEN FINEMarx and Value: The Enigma Code for Contemporary Capitalism DENISE CHRISTIEPublic before Profit VIJAY PRASHADEvery Form of Working-Class Activity MARY DAVISWomen, Class and Gender: A Marxist-Feminist PerspectiveJOHN FOSTERHistory and Marx's MethodISABEL MONALThe Battle of Ideas and the Formation of Consciousness DAVID McLELLANMarx's Materialist Conception of History: New Perspectives FRANCISCO DOMINGUEZMarxism and the Peculiarities of Indo-American Socialism ALAN F BLACKWELLArtificial Intelligence and the Abstraction of Cognitive LabourURSULA HUWSThe Onward March of CommodificationCHRISTINE LINDEYBeing a Marxist Artist Under Capitalism DAVID MARGOLIESLiterature and political judgmentTED BENTONThe Ecological Marx? JOHN O'NEILLFrom Socialist Calculation to Political Ecology SITARAM YECHURYMarxism as a force for change today

1000 Days of Revolution contains nine chapters, each one written by a prominent Chilean communist as part of their party’s attempt to self-critically analyse the reasons for the defeat of President Salvador Allende's Popular Unity government from 1970-1973. The Chilean experience was a sustained attempt to advance to socialism through a non-armed revolutionary strategy based on a constitutionally elected government.The conclusions reached in this volume reject both these extremes. Specifically, they stress the confirmation of two fundamental insights of Marxism. First, that the left cannot simply take over the existing machinery of government and the state from the existing ruling class and use it for different ends. Second that no successful revolutionary movement can succeed unless it can consolidate and maintain a political majority in society. Key economic changes by Popular Unity, above all the nationalisation of the copper industry, sent shockwaves to Wall Street and the White House, where they feared that the Chilean experiment would be repeated elsewhere unless it was stopped – at any cost.Starting with just 36% of the vote in the 1970 presidential elections, Popular Unity faced constant challenges to create and sustain a political majority and at the same time overcome the resistance from within the army, political elite and big business. It also faced the economic and political sabotage by the United States, leading to the coup on 11 September 1973, that cost Allende and thousands of his supporters their lives.