Cedric Robinson's "Black Marxism" (Part 3 of 3)

In 'Phenomenology of Spirit', Hegel outlines the fundamental nature and conditions of human knowledge and consciousness. The work is structured into several categories, including consciousness, self-consciousness, reason, spirit, religion, and absolute knowing. Hegel argues that knowledge emerges through a dialectical process where consciousness moves from sense-certainty to perception and then to understanding. He also examines the social and collective aspects of consciousness, highlighting the struggle for recognition and the development of self-awareness. The book culminates in the concept of absolute knowing, where the subject and object are unified, and the individual is fully integrated into the collective spirit.

Published in 1940, 'Native Son' is a novel set in Chicago during the 1930s. It tells the story of Bigger Thomas, a 20-year-old Black man living in utter poverty on the South Side of Chicago. The novel follows Bigger's journey after he accidentally murders a young white woman, Mary Dalton, in a moment of panic. The book is a condemnation of social injustice and an unsparing portrait of the Black experience in America, revealing the tragic effects of racism, poverty, and hopelessness. Wright's work emphasizes the systemic causes behind Bigger's actions and the psychological toll of racism on Black society. The novel remains timely and relevant, addressing themes of race relations, violence, and the internalized powerlessness of Black Americans.

The Master's Tools charts a history of class war between unions and financiers from the 20th century to the present day. It examines the relationship between the banking sector and the state, and the real-life impacts of the slow erosion of democracy. The book discusses what actions can be taken to fix the current issues. It references the Marxist principle that capital creates its own grave diggers, exploring strategies available for change. It also looks at the contradictory functionalism involved in how states govern.

In this book, Cedric Robinson critiques Marxism and its reliance on determinism, introducing the theory of racial capitalism and tracing the roots of Black radical thought. The book is divided into three parts: 'The Emergence and Limitations of European Radicalism', 'The Roots of Black Radicalism', and 'Black Radicalism and Marxist Theory'. Robinson argues that all capitalism is structured by racialism, producing inequalities among groups, and he examines the lives and works of key Black radical thinkers such as W. E. B. Du Bois, C. L. R. James, and Richard Wright. The book challenges traditional Marxist and European historiography, highlighting the significance of Black resistance and the Black radical tradition in understanding modernity, nationalism, and capitalism.