Gabriel Rockhill, a philosophy professor and director of the Critical Theory Workshop, shares his insights on the limitations of Western Marxism in addressing anti-colonial issues. He discusses his journey from rural Kansas to radical thought, critiquing the disconnect between academia and real-world struggles. Rockhill emphasizes state power's role in revolutionary efforts, draws parallels between Vietnamese resilience and Indigenous struggles, and advocates for a revival of anti-colonial Marxist perspectives to confront current imperial challenges.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Early Reading Habits
Melanie Yazzie's mother was a teacher, instilling a love of reading early on.
Limited resources led her to public libraries and books like Noam Chomsky's in high school.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Academic Shift
Yazzie's academic journey began in the hard sciences, shifting to humanities after a negative experience with a history professor.
This led to graduate studies where assigned Marxist texts sparked internal conflict about theory versus practical application.
insights INSIGHT
Disconnecting Theory and Practice
Western Marxism alienates working people because it is very complicated theory that appears disconnected from class struggle.
This perceived disconnect between theory and practice can lead to disillusionment and a preference for archival research over theoretical engagement.
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How It Was Born, How It Died, How It Can Be Reborn
Jennifer Ponce de León
Gabriel Rockhill
Domenico Losurdo
Steven Colatrella
Domenico Losurdo's "Western Marxism" offers a sharp critique of Western Marxist intellectuals, arguing that their theories often served to undermine genuine socialist movements and align with imperialist interests. Losurdo meticulously traces the historical trajectory of Western Marxism, exposing its inherent contradictions and its complicity with the dominant power structures. He challenges the notion of Western Marxism as a distinct and progressive school of thought, highlighting its limitations and its failure to adequately address the realities of global class struggle. The book's central argument is that Western Marxism often prioritized abstract theoretical debates over concrete revolutionary action, ultimately hindering the advancement of socialist causes worldwide. Losurdo's work is a significant contribution to Marxist scholarship, prompting a re-evaluation of the historical role and impact of Western Marxist thought.
Gabriel Rockhill (@GabrielRockhill) is the Director of the Critical Theory Workshop and Professor of Philosophy at Villanova University. He is the editor of the first English translation of Domenico Losurdo's Western Marxism: How It Was Born, How It Died, How It Can Be Reborn (2017), a critical analysis of the key role that left-wing intellectuals have historically played in the imperial core undercutting socialist movements around the world.
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