We welcome Marxist philosopher John McClendon to the show for an in-depth conversation on his philosophical outlook, his work on African American philosophy, and the role of philosophy in Marxist thought and practice. We then discuss McClendon's important book on C.L.R. James's Notes on Dialectics and its implications for Marxist philosophy in our …

The Conservative party is licking its wounds after its disastrous showing at the General Election. Never in their history have the Tories received such a low share of the vote. But Starmer’s win is extremely shallow. Despite five years of work purging the left and cosying up to big business in the name of electability, Labour also received the lowe…

In which we finally stop joking about reading Lenin and actually do it.Reading: The State and Revolution (1917) by Vladimir LeninSend us a question, comment or valid concern: auxiliarystatements(at)gmail.comDISCORD: https://discord.gg/QScuasDHBy Jack & Dan

Is Marxism science? Is science Marxism? Is the strategy of patience all it's cracked up to be? What about all this riot business? All these questions and more answered by the podcast's second ever repeat guest, Viv Soni as we discuss his recent essay in the journal The Black Lamp.Reading: High priests of telescopes and cyclotrons: Marxism and revol…

The Tories are on their way out! But a Labour government will be just as committed to serving the interests of big business. A new left, anti-war political party with socialist policies must be urgently built to challenge the capitalist parties and the racism of Farage. This episode of Revolutionary Ideas will discuss just how this alternative can …

The postwar period witnessed a renaissance in Nietzschean thought and interpretation, most notably with the French postmodernist readings generated by Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze and Jacques Derrida. But what drove the French Nietzschean renaissance was in many ways supported by the work of two Italian philologists Giorgio Colli and his former …

We are joined by scholar and socialist thinker Tony, creator of @1Dimee, an important YouTube channel that offers educational videos for a mass popular audience. In this discussion, Tony and host Daniel Tutt discuss his research, writing and video work around The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China from 1966 - 67. We examine what gave ri…

Abstract labor eh? Seems like a simple enough concept.Reading: Essays on Marx's Theory of Value, Chapters 12-16 (1923) by I. I. RubinSend us a question, comment or valid concern: auxiliarystatements(at)gmail.comDISCORD: https://discord.gg/c7QwVz26By Jack & Dan

Episode 159: This week we’re reading two essays from The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle The Master’s House by Audre Lorde. The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle The Master’s House - 1:07 Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism - 10:26By SuperBiasedGary

In which we have a look back at what hasn't worked, and why it will continue to not work.Reading: Reflections on the Economics of Socialism (2022) by Nick RogersSend us a question, comment or valid concern: auxiliarystatements(at)gmail.comDISCORD: https://discord.gg/daKyRFAWBy Jack & Dan

We welcome the poet laureate of Vermont, Bianca Stone to the show for a conversation on poetry and psychoanalysis. In recent years, Bianca has turned to psychoanalysis as a way to teach poetry and as a method to better understand the process of writing poetry. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss how poetry relates to philosophy and politi…

We are joined by political theorist Benjamin Studebaker to discuss his book, The Chronic Crisis of American Democracy: The Way Is Shut, a sharp and accessible work on the political deadlocks of our present. The American economic system is slowly subjecting Americans to enormous amounts of stress, and the United States lacks the state capacity requi…

We are joined by writer and literary scholar Tyler Austin Harper, whose writing in The Atlantic and New York Times has raised debates on class, race and the meaning of the left in ideologically turbulent times. In this conversation, we discuss the meaning of the left, how Marxism is to be interpreted in terms of class analysis, the merits of differ…

Well this just keeps getting better. In this episode, Jack pretends he knows anything about occultism.Reading: Book Two: Mansoul from Jerusalem (2016) by Alan MooreChapter discussion timestamps:UPSTAIRS 9:07AN ASMODEUS FLIGHT 19:12RABBITS 39:00THE SCARLET WELL 48:23FLATLAND 59:55MENTAL FIGHTS 1:14:38SLEEPLESS SWORDS 1:25:50MALIGNANT, REFRACTORY SPI…

In which we theorize the potential for a protracted people's war in the outer suburbs of Miami.Reading: Philosophy of the Urban Guerrilla, Section III - What Can Be Done? (1973) by Abraham GuillénSend us a question, comment or valid concern: auxiliarystatements(at)gmail.comDISCORD: https://discord.gg/xUqsPs24…

We are joined by historian Gabriel Raeburn to discuss the thought of Eugene Genovese, a firebrand Marxist historian who fundamentally transformed the academic study of slavery in the United States and who, with Christopher Lasch, attempted to launch Marxist Perspectives, a serious Marxist-centered journal that brought together the entirety of the g…

Episode 158: This week we’re finishing: The Worldview and Philosophical Methodology of Marxism-Leninism Written for the Vietnamese curriculum and translated by Luna Nguyen You can purchase a copy and support translation of the further curriculum here: https://www.banyanhouse.org/product/ebook-the-worldview-and-philosophical-methodology-of-marxism-l…

Back on the value theory grind...Reading: Essays on Marx's Theory of Value, Section Two - Marx's Labor Theory of Value, Chapters 8-11 (1923) by I. I. RubinSend us a question, comment or valid concern: auxiliarystatements(at)gmail.comDISCORD: https://discord.gg/fDdf6qkxBy Jack & Dan

Episode 157: This week we’re continuing with: The Worldview and Philosophical Methodology of Marxism-Leninism Written for the Vietnamese curriculum and translated by Luna Nguyen You can purchase a copy and support translation of the further curriculum here: https://www.banyanhouse.org/product/ebook-the-worldview-and-philosophical-methodology-of-mar…

In which recently departed podcast favorite Loren Goldner discusses the immense promises and successes of the anarchists in Spain, as well as their eventual (and perhaps inevitable) defeat.Reading: "The Spanish revolution, past and future: grandeur and poverty of anarchism; how the working class takes over (or doesn't), then and now" from Revolutio…

Episode 156: This week we’re continuing with: The Worldview and Philosophical Methodology of Marxism-Leninism Written for the Vietnamese curriculum and translated by Luna Nguyen You can purchase a copy and support translation of the further curriculum here: https://www.banyanhouse.org/product/ebook-the-worldview-and-philosophical-methodology-of-mar…

We are pleased to welcome longtime friend of the show Scribe Wolf, aka A. H. Ra. In this discussion we focus on the book Noise: The Political Economy of Music by theorist Jacques Attali, a highly influential work that crosses disciplinary borders from history, music, to critical theory and Marxism. This is a wide-ranging and improvisational convers…

We welcome Dr. Mohammed Sulaiman for a follow-up interview on the situation in Gaza where as of the time of recording (March 13, 2024) Israel has killed over 30,000 Palestinians. Building off our first discussion, this interview explores a number of questions listeners have wanted to raise with Mohammed about the war on Gaza. We discuss the legacy …

Well here it is, the episode no one asked for. A three hour plunge into the first section of Alan Moore's masterpiece Jerusalem.Reading: Prelude "A Work in Progress" & Book One: The Boroughs from Jerusalem (2016) by Alan MooreChapter discussion timestamps:Prelude - 12:03A Host of Angles - 36:00ASBOs of Desire - 50:48Rough Sleepers - 1:14:10X Marks …

Value theory?? On auxiliary statements???Reading: Essays on Marx's Theory of Value, Section One - Marx's Theory of Commodity Fetishism (1923) by I. I. RubinSend us a question, comment or valid concern: auxiliarystatements(at)gmail.comDISCORD: discord.gg/YkEg2XadBy Jack & Dan

We welcome Marxist scholars Sara Nadal-Melsió & Eduardo Cadava for a discussion on their new book "Politically Red". If as Brecht said "reading is class struggle" what does that mean for us as Marxists? How are we to orient ourselves in reading groups? How is reading political? Politically Red focuses on the work of Walter Benjamin, Frederic Jameso…

We welcome philosopher Carlos Garrido for a conversation on the theoretical and practical challenges facing the left in America. Garrido is the author of The Purity Fetish and the Crisis of Western Marxism and he specializes in Marxist theory, the history of socialism in America and pragmatist philosophy. He is a director and philosopher at the @Mi…

I'm joined by Sudip Bhattacharya for a discussion on how to navigate debates on identity politics and class on the left. What are the best ways for socialists to engage in these debates without risking they end up in unproductive division and hostility? This is a productive conversation full of helpful social and political analysis. Sudip Bhattacha…

Back on our ultra-left bs. If we don't read some Lenin soon, people will begin to talk...Reading: Hinterland (2018) by Phil A. NeelSend us a question, comment or valid concern: auxiliarystatements(at)gmail.comDISCORD: https://discord.gg/YkEg2XadBy Jack & Dan

Gary Young - Dispatches from the Diaspora: From Mandela to BLM Marxism 2023 is a festival of socialist ideas taking place from Thursday 29 June to Sunday 2 July at SOAS University, London. It brings together meetings, speakers, debates, live music, a culture tent, film screenings, and more

In an effort to understand the philosophy of technology and our relationship to it as humans, we turn to a 60 year old essay by Murray Bookchin.Reading: Towards a Liberatory Technology (1965) by Murray BookchinSend us a question, comment or valid concern: auxiliarystatements(at)gmail.comDISCORD: https://discord.gg/YpmDM5Sd…

Episode 155: This week we’re continuing with: The Worldview and Philosophical Methodology of Marxism-Leninism Written for the Vietnamese curriculum and translated by Luna Nguyen You can purchase a copy and support translation of the further curriculum here: https://www.banyanhouse.org/product/ebook-the-worldview-and-philosophical-methodology-of-mar…

Through the 1960s until the 1990s, the Militant Tendency gained infamy for its defence of Marxist and socialist ideas within the labour movement in Britain. It took the fight to the Thatcher government in the 80s, both in the struggle of the socialist Liverpool City Council, and in the struggle against the poll tax. What were the lessons of these f…

We finally decided it would be best if we solved quantum mechanics. Big thanks to Viv for coming on and helping us out. Find his work at The Black Lamp: www.black-lamp.comReading: The Crisis in Physics (1937) by Christopher CaudwellSend us a question, comment or valid concern: auxiliarystatements(at)gmail.comDISCORD: https://discord.gg/gGh5Xe8k…

We are joined by scholar Benjamin Fong to discuss his excellent new book Quick Fixes: Drugs in America from Prohibition to the 21st Century Binge. We discuss the history of drug policy, the role of the state in enforcing and distributing drugs, and we focus on the history of alcohol, opioids, psychedelics and marijuana. We conclude with a conversat…

This episode we a classic Moishe Postone essay in an attempt to further our understanding of the abstract domination of capital, and how misunderstandings of it tend to very often manifest themselves in violent and unspeakable ways.Reading: "Anti-semitism and National Socialism" (1980) by Moishe PostoneSend us a question, comment or valid concern: …

Episode 154: This week we’re continuing with: The Worldview and Philosophical Methodology of Marxism-Leninism Written for the Vietnamese curriculum and translated by Luna Nguyen You can purchase a copy and support translation of the further curriculum here: https://www.banyanhouse.org/product/ebook-the-worldview-and-philosophical-methodology-of-mar…

Jacques Lacan frequently discusses religious themes in his work, from rethinking the concept of belief, to the meaning of the return to religion in modern life. In this episode, we are joined by scholar Mark Gerard Murphy to discuss his work on Lacan and theology and to introduce some salient ideas that Lacan introduces in the field of theology and…

Is liberal socialism a contradiction in terms? An oxymoron? Or are liberalism and socialism necessary for the realization of the political objectives that each share and profess? We are joined by Matt McManus, author of the forthcoming book, The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism to make the case for his vision of a renewed liberal socialism for…

Auxiliary Statements is back to reading Capital?!? Well, just the last section. We had to go back to our origin of capitalism bugbear sometime, after all. And maybe we should have just read this first.Reading: Capital, Section 8: The So-Called Primitive Accumulation (1867) by Karl MarxSend us a question, comment or valid concern: auxiliarystatement…

Well folks, here it is. Our big value theory episode. In this ep we discuss what it is that most people get wrong about value theory, and why using the David Harvey companion may not be the best idea for first time readers of Capital.Huge thanks to Mark again for coming on and setting us straight.Reading: A Companion to David Harvey's Companion to …

Episode 153: This week we’re continuing with: The Worldview and Philosophical Methodology of Marxism-Leninism Written for the Vietnamese curriculum and translated by Luna Nguyen You can purchase a copy and support translation of the further curriculum here: https://www.banyanhouse.org/product/ebook-the-worldview-and-philosophical-methodology-of-mar…

What is the legacy of the Enlightenment in political struggles today and how are socialists and Marxists to relate to the Enlightenment? Must we rely on first principles and an a priori theory of knowledge in our understanding of capitalism and exploitation? Or must we proceed on the basis of an appeal to empiricism and experience primarily in our …

If you aren't sure what family abolition means...you are not alone. In fact, its meaning has changed drastically over the course of capitalism's development. So what could it mean today?Reading: "To Abolish the Family" (2018) by M.E. O'Brien from endnotes 5https://endnotes.org.uk/articles/to-abolish-the-family.pdfSend us a question, comment or vali…

Episode 152: This week we’re continuing with: The Worldview and Philosophical Methodology of Marxism-Leninism Written for the Vietnamese curriculum and translated by Luna Nguyen You can purchase a copy and support translation of the further curriculum here: https://www.banyanhouse.org/product/ebook-the-worldview-and-philosophical-methodology-of-mar…

We are joined by philosopher Terry Pinkard to discuss Sartre's Critique of Dialectical Reason, his second major philosophical work next to Being and Nothingness. Dr. Pinkard is one of the foremost Hegel scholars in the world and he has recently written a book on Sartre's Critique entitled Practice, Power, and Forms of Life: Sartre’s Appropriation o…

Well we held off as long as we could, but we're back to discussing transition debate stuff. This time we attempt to take on Japan's unique path to capitalism and its equally unique brand of "feudalism."Reading: "Japanese Feudalism" from Lineages of the Absolutist State (1974) by Perry Anderson and "The Prussia of the East?"(1991) by Perry AndersonS…

Episode 151: This week we’re continuing with: The Worldview and Philosophical Methodology of Marxism-Leninism Written for the Vietnamese curriculum and translated by Luna Nguyen You can purchase a copy and support translation of the further curriculum here: https://www.banyanhouse.org/product/ebook-the-worldview-and-philosophical-methodology-of-mar…

Palestine and the Actuality of Struggle: A Forum with the Beirut Institute for Critical Analysis & Research (BICAR) Featuring presentations from Nadia Bou Ali, Ray Brassier, Sami Khatib and Maya Andrea Gonzalez. Panel moderated by Daniel Tutt Read the BICAR statement on Palestine: https://bicarlebanon.org…