Faust – in the beginning was the deed Faust, the epic play by Goethe, is one of the greatest works of art of all time. It has intrigued and inspired generations across the world and will continue to do so for generations to come. In this article, Josh Holroyd explores some of the key themes of this dialectical masterpiece, including human nature, the struggle for knowledge, and the relationship between good and evil.
Socialism or barbarism: read the editorial of issue 52 of ‘In Defence of Marxism’ magazine – OUT NOW! A hundred years ago, in the midst of the First World War, an anonymous pamphlet under the pen-name ‘Junius’ appeared in Zurich and rapidly began to circulate throughout the international workers’ movement. This pamphlet had in fact been written from inside a German prison cell by Rosa Luxemburg.
Anton Chekhov’s short stories: a truthful reflection of pre-revolutionary Russia In the pantheon of great Russian writers, Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) stands out as a master of his craft, whose influence on modern literature endures to this day.
Lessons of the Paris Commune The Paris Commune of 1871 was the first workers’ state in history. For roughly six weeks, from 18 March to 28 May, the workers of Paris ran the city democratically, whilst heroically resisting the onslaught of the old order, based at Versailles.
1904 Trotsky pamphlet online for first time – EXCLUSIVE! We are proud to announce a marxist.com exclusive! Here, we are making available online for the first time in English a brand new translation of a historic pamphlet written by Trotsky in 1904. Titled, Before the 9th of January, Trotsky shows how utterly reactionary the liberal bourgeoisie in Russia had become. He draws the important conclusion that the forthcoming revolution in Russia will find them in the camp of the enemy, and will instead be led by the revolutionary proletariat – a stunningly accurate prediction. As far as we are aware, this is available nowhere else in English online.
