Two weeks before the beginning of the Montreal Marxist Winter School, we are now adding a tenth session: How are the workers exploited? the laws of capitalism. This session, which will be an introduction to Marxist Economics, will serve as a theoretical basis for those who wish to attend the session on the Marxist Theory of Rent.
As a sign of the growing popularity of revolutionary ideas, the Montreal Marxist Winter School has been growing steadily over the years, to become the largest Marxist event in Quebec and Canada. The 12th edition of the Marxist School will be held on Zoom on February 19, 20 and 21, 2022.
With the current pandemic, we had to move the school online. Last year, we also had to hold the event online, which still reached fantastic proportions with over 1160 registrants.
Since we will not have to worry about travel, we have recently chosen to add an extra day to the school and a few new sessions. As usual, all presentations and discussions will be in French and English with consecutive translation.
With two weeks to go before the School starts, there are already over 700 people registered! If you haven’t registered yet, do it now!
Suggested readings
Here is the updated schedule and suggested readings for those who wish to prepare for the various sessions. Reading them is optional and the event is friendly to all audiences, regardless of your background!!
IN DEFENCE OF MARXISM
Saturday, February 19th, 10:00AM EST
- Introduction to the Revolutionary Philosophy of Marxism
- The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism – Lenin
- Marx was right!
- Karl Marx – Lenin
- Our introductory booklets, including Marxist philosophy and historical materialism (availables in print or PDF version through our store).
HOW ARE THE WORKERS EXPLOITED? THE LAWS OF CAPITALISM
Saturday, February 19th, 2:30PM EST
- Introduction to Marxist Economics (This text is included in our introductory booklet on Marxist economics, which also includes Karl Marx’s Wage Labour and Capital – available in print or PDF version through our store).
THE INDIGENOUS STRUGGLE : IN DEFENCE OF A MARXIST PERSPECTIVE
Saturday, February 19th, 2:30PM EST
- Fightback’s book : Indigenous Struggle and the Fight for Socialism (you can also order the print version through our store).
- ‘Decolonization’ doesn’t mean anything
- The Liberal project to create an Indigenous bourgeoisie
- The 1990 Oka crisis : Lessons for today
WHAT IS TRUTH AND IS IT POSSIBLE TO KNOW IT?
Sunday, February 20th, 10:00AM EST
MARXISM AND ART
Sunday, February 20th, 10:00AM EST
- Marxism and art : introduction to Trotsky’s writings on Art and Culture
- Literature and Revolution – Leon Trotsky
- Art and Revolution – Leon Trotsky (book available in print version through our store)
- Art and Class Struggle
- Beethoven : man, composer and revolutionary
- Shostakovich, the musical conscience of the Russian Revolution
1972 QUEBEC GENERAL STRIKE : THE FORGOTTEN REVOLUTION
Sunday, February 20th, 2:30PM EST
- 45 years since the 1972 Quebec general strike
- 29 octobre 1971 : un tournant dans l’histoire du mouvement ouvrier québécois – In french only
- 1971 CSN Manifesto : Ne comptons que sur nos propres moyens, with a foreword on the general strike of 1972 (available in print or PDF version through our store) – In french only
- Michel Chartrand, le plus grand révolutionnaire de la classe ouvrière québécoise – In french only
MARXIST THEORY OF RENT
Sunday, February 20th, 2:30PM EST
*As this is potentially a more challenging session, we recommend that attendees familiarize themselves with the labour theory of value and the concepts of labour power and surplus value. As a good place to start, we recommend Introduction to Marxist Economics (This text is included in our introductory booklet on Marxist economics, which also includes Karl Marx’s Wage Labour and Capital – available in print or PDF version through our store).
Other suggested readings:
- In Defence of Marx’s Labour Theory of Value
- Parasitical landlordism and the Marxist theory of rent
- The Housing Question – Friedrich Engels
- From the book by Alan Woods Reformism or Revolution – Chapitre 6 : An outline of Marxist economics
- Why are there tent cities in Canada?
MARXISM AND ALIENATION
Monday, February 21st, 10:00AM EST
- Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 – Karl Marx
- The fetishism of commodities, Capital, chapter 1 – Karl Marx
- Alienation and the future of humanity, extrait de Reason in Revolt (also available in print version through our store)
MARXISM AND THE RIGHT-WING FRENZY OVER “CRITICAL RACE THEORY”
Monday, February 21st, 10:00AM EST
- Marxism and the Right-Wing Frenzy over “Critical Race Theory”
- Why capitalism needs racism
- USA : Black Struggle and the Socialist Revolution (available in print or PDF version through our store)
- Marxism vs Identity politics : How to fight oppression (available in print or PDF version through our store)
PREPARING FOR THE WORLD REVOLUTION
Monday, February 21st, 2:30PM EST
- 2021 World Perspectives : A worldwide epoch of revolution is being prepared
- Kazakhstan : President calls in foreign troops to smash protest movement
- Omicron variant : a menace of capitalism’s making
- What has caused the unfolding chaos in the world economy?
- Shortages and bottlenecks expose the anarchy of the capitalist system
