Thanks for the recommendations. I did read the Communist manifesto but still struggled a bit with it, despite it being the more basic entry point. Would Engels be too advanced for me? My basis of knowledge is just what I’ve learned from YouTube channels like Second Thought & prof. Richard Wolff
I wouldn’t say the Communist Manifesto is the most basic entry point. It was written in a different time for an audience who would have understood a lot more of the references than we do today. It also applies dialectical and historical materialism without really addressing what that means, which can create a bit of a sticking point.
I didn’t fully understand it until I’d read a lot of other Marxist texts. The first time I read it (when I wasn’t a Marxist), I just thought it was a bit shit. The second time I read it (when I was becoming a Marxist), I thought that it ignored the crucial information that I was looking for. It was during the third read-through (after becoming a Marxist) that I got the most out of it.
These readings were years apart, btw. And my earlier issues with it were down to having certain expectations of what I would find. I’m only saying this so that you don’t lose heart – texts that should be easy to read or which seem easy to some people aren’t always easy to others.
Now, I’m with Soviet Snake and I do recommend it as an early text. But it’s a starting point, to get a flavour of Marxism. If you don’t/didn’t get on with it, there are other texts.
Engels is a better writer than Marx. He usually gets to the point a little quicker. Not to say I dislike Marx’s style; but Engels is more direct. Give his sole-authored works a try.
Thanks for the recommendations. I did read the Communist manifesto but still struggled a bit with it, despite it being the more basic entry point. Would Engels be too advanced for me? My basis of knowledge is just what I’ve learned from YouTube channels like Second Thought & prof. Richard Wolff
I wouldn’t say the Communist Manifesto is the most basic entry point. It was written in a different time for an audience who would have understood a lot more of the references than we do today. It also applies dialectical and historical materialism without really addressing what that means, which can create a bit of a sticking point.
I didn’t fully understand it until I’d read a lot of other Marxist texts. The first time I read it (when I wasn’t a Marxist), I just thought it was a bit shit. The second time I read it (when I was becoming a Marxist), I thought that it ignored the crucial information that I was looking for. It was during the third read-through (after becoming a Marxist) that I got the most out of it.
These readings were years apart, btw. And my earlier issues with it were down to having certain expectations of what I would find. I’m only saying this so that you don’t lose heart – texts that should be easy to read or which seem easy to some people aren’t always easy to others.
Now, I’m with Soviet Snake and I do recommend it as an early text. But it’s a starting point, to get a flavour of Marxism. If you don’t/didn’t get on with it, there are other texts.
Engels is a better writer than Marx. He usually gets to the point a little quicker. Not to say I dislike Marx’s style; but Engels is more direct. Give his sole-authored works a try.
In light of your OP question, I suggest Socialism: Utopian and Scientific: https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1880/soc-utop/index.htm.