by Albin Planinc
ilmanifesto.info
16 Sep 2016
For those who want to start from the beginning, there is an e-book just available that reconstructs with care and diligence the clash between “authoritarians” (Marx) and anarchists (Bakunin) in the First International: “The First Socialist Schism: Bakunin vs. Marx in the International Working Men’s Association” by Wolfgang Eckhardt. Marx does not make a very good figure … and Bakunin seem to play an almost marginal role. It was not only a personal conflict (Marx believed the International to be his domain, and he feared that Bakunin would rob it) but a collective clash between two different conceptions of political action in the labour movement. For those who have uncritically adopted the communists’ sacred vision about the conflict and about anarchism, it is an excellent opportunity to go into greater depth and re-evaluate, also considering today’s situation and the future prospects of the left.
Translated from the Italian original: https://disqus.com/home/discussion/ilmanifesto/il_lessico_dellanarchismo/oldest/
