Philosophy

With the passing of Robert Fine on 9 June 2018, the British left lost a truly exceptional figure. A respected sociologist at the University of Warwick, Fine was a long-time sympathiser of Workers’ Liberty. Though he was less involved in frontline activism towards the end of his life, he never lost his commitment to working-class struggle. In short, Fine never became a stereotypical “Marxist academic”.

The term "dialectic", as a description of a mode of reasoning, dates back to ancient Greek philosophy, and in general signifies a method of argument that involves some sort of contradictory process between opposing sides, usually as a path to successive approximations to truth.

Thus Plato presented his philosophical argument as a back-and-forth dialogue or debate, generally between Socrates and some other person.

At Workers' Liberty summer school – Ideas for Freedom 2015 – socialist Daisy Forest debated the Bishop of Manchester David Walker, on the question of 'Love thy neighbour, or class struggle?'

Below is a video recording of the debate, and also a transcript of Daisy's speech.

'Contradictions as the cause of change' (Part 5 of Edward Conze's series on dialectical materialism)

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Articles:

The unity of opposites (Part 5 of Edward Conze's explanation of dialectical materialism)
What was the USSR (Colin Foster)

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Articles:

Things must be studied in their movement (Part 3, on Dialectal Materialism) (Edward Conze)
What are transitional demands? (Jack Cleary)

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“The wind that shakes the barley”Catholic Action: A rift in the Iron Curtain, by James P Cannon

A Rift in the Religious Iron Curtain :1. From Hollywood To Rome

A Rift in the Religious Iron Curtain 2: Church and State

A Rift in the Religious Iron Curtain 3: The Protestant Counter-attack

Fighting sin or fighting capital? A Debate on Socialism and Religion

James P Cannon

Catholic Action: A rift in the Iron Curtain, by James P Cannon
(1947)

The Catholic Church 1: From Hollywood To Rome (1951)

The Catholic Church 2: Church and State

The Catholic Church 3: The Protestant Counter-attack

Max Shachtman

Fighting sin or fighting capital? A Debate on Socialism and Religion (1949)

Appendices

Taking advantage of what is left of my rights, I hereby serve notice of intention to join in the public discussions stirred up by President Truman's decision to send a United States ambassador to the Vatican. And if you expect me to be calm and politely restrained in my utterances, you're in for a disappointment. I was burned up about the encroachments of authoritarian clericalism long before the President's decision was announced. His latest stroke of statesmanship just added a little fuel to the flames which have been scaring my tender flesh.