Theory Resource List

Basic Theory Reading List

Tips on reading: Do not rush in and try to go in a set pattern. Don’t use this list as a shelf full of books, picking up anything randomly and failing to read any. Make a schedule first, pick one reading, and if it is a short one, finish it in one sitting, however if it is a book, give yourself one to two weeks but read every day. Try to make notes as it would help you concentrating and going back to those things later.

Follow this flow: Firstly, understand what Marxism is. Once you have understood it, you will be able to understand all the other category of texts, be it gender or be it social institutions. Read the texts given under each heading, the starting few texts would be essential readings while some, as maybe mentioned, could be additional readings. Under some headings, at the end you would find chapters from a book called “What is Marxism?” by Emile Burns. It is given so as to help you understand the other texts in an easier manner. Read them along with or in addition to the given texts. The list starts with explaining you the concepts that help you understand Marxism. It takes you further and explain to you what exactly is Socialism and Communism. Then it proceeds to give you also the understanding of the very system we are living in- Capitalism, this part deals much with economics, explaining you the working or say ill-working of capitalism. Then of course, the section that makes reading all of it fruitful, the plan of action. After these readings, you start to learn in depth about the society around you from various social institutions that affect us on daily basis from gender to caste.

Basic concepts to enable us to understand Marxism:

(Before we start reading about the epochs of Socialism and Communism, we need to understand the theory that helps us identify the epochs and study them. Marxism is the theory that gives us this understanding, helps us know what was, what is and what is to come based on not the idealistic hopes but materialistic realities. Sounds confusing? It won’t be once you have read and understood the concepts on which the theory stands. Go in an order, read first two readings first, the next two, though important, are optional and you can read as per your interest. If even after all these texts, you do not seem to understand it, Emile Burns is there to help you at the end. Do read the last reading anyway.)

The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism by Lenin: This text might take only about ten to fifteen minutes to finish and can give you an idea of the structure of the theory of marxism. It guides you through the important concepts that form the theory. A text you must begin with.
Dialectical and Historical Materialism by J. V. Stalin: “Dialectics” might be one word you must have often heard if you have come across anything related to Marxism or Philosophy. The understanding of Marxism truly begins from understanding the two most important concepts of the theory. The text is written in an extremely simple manner. One half is devoted on Dialectical method of Marxism, which is more related to the philosophical aspect of Marxism. If you have some difficulty in understanding it at first, don’t worry and read further. The other half is of Historical Materialism, a part which is imperative for you to read in order to be able to understand the theory better. This part could be easier to understand than the former.
Dialectical Materialism by Mao Tse-tung: If you are further interested in understanding the Dialectical Materialism part, understanding in detail about the philosophical positions of “idealism” and “materialism”, this text is one of the best one you have got. Written in a short and crisp manner.
Historical Materialism by Frederick Engels: Taken from a very important text “Socialism: Utopian and Scientific” which was written specifically to put a light on the important components of Marxism in a proper and clear detail. This one could be longer than the other readings mentioned above but gives you a very accurate understanding of the Historical Materialism method which Marx discovered. You may read if you wish to understand further on the Historical Materialism part.
Chapter 1 and 2 of What is Marxism? by Emile Burns: In the two chapters, Burns begin with explaining to you what is the science of Marxism and he goes on to explain to you, with examples, how historical materialism is employed to conduct a study of society and what conclusions it leads us to. He also briefs on how the Marxist theory of Socialism is way different and opposed to the Utopian Concept of Socialism, given by many writers and philosophers before him (the same has been discussed in detail by Engels in The Development of Utopian Socialism, you may read if you want).

Understanding the phases of Socialism and Communism:

(Once you have understood the concepts and the science of Marxism, you are set to read about the epochs of Socialism and Communism. Read the first text, it is very short and precise, and if you want to know more, read the manifesto. And finally, read Lenin to understand it all very clearly.)

The Principles of Communism by Engels: You can call this question-answer format text as a FAQ on the theory of communism. The text in about half an hour explains to you what communism is, what class struggle is, how classes formed, how capitalism formed, what are the contradictions of capitalism, how communists work, what communists believe in etc. It is basically a brief of the Manifesto i.e. the next reading.
The Manifesto of the Communist Party by Marx and Engels: Here is obviously the most popular leftist literature text ever, for all the right reasons. This was basically a manifesto written for the communist party members of various countries. Whatever you have read in the above texts, you will find the essence of all in it. You may skip the prefaces. It should not take more than two to four days to finish this text if you have already gained an idea about it from the above texts. Many people pick this text when they begin with theory but since they haven’t understood the concepts given above before reading it, they often face difficulty in understanding the text. Also available in Punjabi, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Odiya, Tamil, Telugu, Assamese and Bengali
The State and Revolution by Lenin: For me, this is the most important text that one should read to understand how socialism is brought out in detail. Lenin is not only the revolutionary leader who led the overthrow of an autocratic regime in Russia and led the movement toward the first successful Marxist socialist revolution, he is also one of the most profound writers in Marxist literature. What sets him apart is his ability to write in such a way that the masses can understand it without any difficulty. After reading the above texts, you might have gained an overview and understanding of revolution, but this is the text that goes into the intrinsic details of how that revolution would be like in practice.
Chapter 6 of What is Marxism by Emile Burns: An extremely important chapter to help you understand in simple terms how the socialist society looks like and functions, it discusses how socialism is brought out of capitalism and how it starts to rectify the ills that were inherent in the capitalistic system (which you are going to read about under the next heading.)

Understanding the Economic Problems within Capitalism:

(Once you have briefly understood the ills of capitalism and how socialism and communism follows as phases, you must get into depth of understanding capitalism. There is Das Kapital which is fully devoted on the topic but since we are only doing basics here, I give you some very basic texts to read with Burns at the end to help you better. )

Wage, Labour and Capital: A short reading that gives you an understanding of how wages and the price of a commodity are decided in the capitalist system. It further deals with what capital is and how wage-labour are related to capital. Although, you must have already understood in brief how the competition affects capitalist, middle and lower classes, this text can give you a better insight on it.
Value, Price and Profit: To understand the working of capitalism in greater detail, you should read this book. It touches upon various topics like value of labour, supply and demand, calculation of profits out of value of a product and various other elements that run capitalism on daily basis.
Chapter 3 of What is Marxism? by Emile Burns: To be honest, in order to understand why socialism must necessarily follow capitalism, you need to learn more about capitalism than socialism. However, economics can trouble people which is why I am putting this chapter in a little incorrect order. In this reading you would understand how wages and profits are calculated, what is capital and what is labour and finally what are the contradictions within capitalism that leads to its death.

Understanding the Plan of Action towards Revolution:

(The most important question that you must be asking yourself all the while you were reading, how? These texts can not only help you understand the course towards revolution but will also fill you with enthusiasm.)

To The Young Political Workers by Bhagat Singh: This was a speech that Bhagat Singh gave to the young party members, and it is one of the most important thing that you should read when your mind is asking you “what is the way forward?” and “what I as a young person/student can even do?”. This text is for all the young people who hold a firm determination to bring a change to society, who admires Bhagat’s courage and his vision. This text is life changing!
What Is To Be Done? by Lenin: This will give you an idea of the way Lenin had planned to bring the movement to success before the Russian Revolution, however, written in very different circumstances than were around the Revolution. This text can serve as a detailed guide or blueprint towards revolution and ponders upon various methods that are needed to be employed in a movement. Also available in Hindi
Organizational Structure of Communist Parties, on the Methods and Content of their Work: This is a very short reading that lists out how the communist parties in various countries must be formed, what should be their work and how they should carry them out. A very important reading to understand how must a party work. Also available in Hindi.
Chapter 5 and 8 of What is Marxism? by Emile Burns: The two extremely important chapters of the book and I would say one of the best sources where you can find a guide to revolution in such simple words, with real world examples and experiences. Chapter 5 tells you in detail about how a class struggle can be ignited and maintained. The chapter describes how during the struggle there are phases where there are alliances and compromises. The chapter also throws light on the question of participation in and use of parliamentary politics. The last chapter of the book leaves you with a guide to action, discussing previous revolutions and clearing out to you the science of Marxism for the last time.

Understanding Social Institutions:

(This one is a very interesting part as it helps you learn about those things that always surrounded you but you never knew, institutions that always held power over you but you never realised. Here we will talk about those institutions that are created by the society like family, private property, State, nation, religion etc. This part will make you think and question everything you knew till now. An amazing exercise for your mind. Read about State and Nation through this highlight.)

Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State by Engels: This is the first text that I had accidentally read while reading for an exam. It served as an introduction to the political theory for me. This text has the capability to shake the perceptions about the society that you have held throughout your life. It takes you to the pre-history and then brings you to the present, deconstructing each social institution that surrounds you. It tells you how family was formed, how relations between husband-wife, parents-children, brother-sister developed and changed over the years. It talks about different type of marriages and relationships that existed historically, giving an insight to the birth of patriarchy. Then it tells you how just one change in the history- origin of private property- brought an irreparable damage to the society and changed the human history thereafter. It finally tells you about the origin of State that kept the the other institutions and status quo intact. To be honest, this text would make you think. It would make you see the world around you way differently.
What is the State? by G. Belov: To understand in simple language and to read about State specifically, you can refer to this book. It part by part discusses what is a State, how it originates, what is the difference between a capitalist and a socialist state, how democracy works, and so on.
Marxism and the National Question by J.V. Stalin: Yes, a nation is quite different than the State. You can refer to this read as it in very simple words describes what is a nation, on what basis do nations form, how nations work and also what is nationalism. Do not go by the size, you must read the first two chapters for the understanding and rest you can read as you like.
Why I Am An Atheist: Even if you are actively practising religion, I think you must read this piece to learn from a different perspective. In his famous piece, Bhagat tries to explain why he is an atheist and what religion means to him. Also available in Hindi.

Understanding Gender and Feminism:

(In this part we again learn about a social construct named gender and deconstruct it. We try to find out the basic origins of patriarchy and read about the section that, even though suffers the most, remains out of the discourse of the white-liberal-corporate-brand based feminism. This section also attempts to highlight the role of women in the revolution. Most of these readings are very short ones, you can read quickly.)

Women: Caste, Class or Oppressed Sex by Evelyn Reed: Did you read the Origin of Family, Private Property and State by Engels? If yes, then you understand half this text already. But if you haven’t read it, this text is also going to give you a small brief of it. Evelyn Reed raises some important questions in this text, and answers them too! Are women naturally a weaker gender? Are men the root reason of patriarchy and oppression on women? Are women a class? Are women a caste? Read this text and all your questions would be answered in one go. Pretty small in size for the amount of knowledge this one essay can give you.
The Social Basis of the Woman Question by Alexandara Kollontai: Raising the question of self determination for working class women and highlight how the institution of marriage holds back the women in chains, this Kollontai’s text is considered to be one of the most important revolutionary feminist pieces. This text also changed the discourse of how the bourgeois women rights activists have ignored the specific issues of working class women while they have demanded equality in profession.
Women, Race and Class by Angela Davis: On quite similar lines, yet in a very different background, came Davis. A black rights activist in America, Angela Davis is still the source of inspiration for millions of blacks and especially the women of color. She has given in the picture of struggle that the women of colour face in the capitalist society.
The Approaching Obsolescence of Housework: A Working-Class Perspective by Angela Davis: From the same book, this is the Chapter 13th that you must read, if you are not being able to read the whole book. She explains the struggle of working class women and demands abolishment of unpaid housework that is imposed as a sole burden on the head of the women. This chapter can give you a view of how the power dynamics play within the households and how women are always kept aback.
Marxism and Transgender Liberation by Red Fightback: There has not been much of classic work that takes into account gender apart from a non-binary sense (very directly), however, there have been recent accounts on it that take the classics as reference to help you understand the questions of gender beyond cis-het men and women. This piece written as a response to the transphobia present in the British Left clears out how transgender liberation is not only an essential element of revolutionary struggle against capitalism but also how Marxist theory presents a path for it. Very interesting and simple read.

Understanding Caste in India:

(Yet again social construct and a social menace that plagues the Indian Society inside out. The caste system has often stood as impediment in the class struggle, even when the majority of proletarian consists of the oppressed castes. Intermix of class and caste takes a heavy toll on them and this highlights the need of synthesis. Our approach and learning, thus, must necessarily consist learning about caste with class and organising towards the revolution, and eventual emancipation of oppressed.)

The Caste Question in India by Anuradha Ghandhy: One of the most comprehensive understanding of the origin, growth and application of caste in India can be found in this very short book by Ghandhy. It traces the development of caste through different historical epochs and provides with a foundational understanding of Marxist perspective on caste. A must read!
For the solution of the ‘Caste’ question Buddha is not enough Ambedkar is not enough either Marx is a Must: While it cannot be denied that Ambedkar played an immensely prominent role in the anti-caste movement as a representative of lower castes, for the analysis of caste, its social and economic function, and thus to understand the end of caste as a social institution, his writings are not enough. And while this might sound very infuriating to some, for the position that Ambedkar holds, criticism only leads us to better understanding and opens up new avenues of knowledge. In this book, Ranganayakamma discusses all the writings written by Ambedkar focusing on caste and critically analyse their relevance and application. It is a must read for anyone whose anti-caste politics looks for the end of the caste problem instead of plainly creating and worshipping idols.

Recasting Caste: From the Sacred to the Profane by Hira Singh: If you are interested in learning into deep about the origins and functions of caste in Indian society, this book has got you a detailed analysis and carefully pointed out the direction in which the anti caste movement must move forward to, if the goal is to annihilate the caste.
Issue of Untouchability by Bhagat Singh: Bhagat Singh touches upon the problem of caste in India while referring to various texts and also to various leaders who have tried to address the problem of caste in different ways. In this text, he gives direction and appeals the Dalits to unite and organise. A short and a must read.
Dalit Panthers: Annihilating Caste; Class Enemies: In this text, the idea and vision of Dalit Panthers towards the annihilation of caste is described. The text also briefs you about who Dalit Panthers were, how they formed and operated and what were their demands. A read on caste must mention the struggles of Dalit Panthers.

Understanding your Young Self and the Role of Emotions:

Letter To Shaheed Sukhdev by Bhagat Singh: To clear out some misunderstandings with Sukhdev, Bhagat writes this letter to him. Sukhdev apparently felt that Bhagat had fallen in love with someone because of which he was running away from the movement. In this letter, Bhagat Singh talks about love! Also available in Hindi
Man and Socialism in Cuba by Che Guevara: Che in this text talks about a range of questions that you might ask yourself as you read more and more theory. As your mind starts developing thoughts around the revolution and people, the individual inside you is going to bother you from time to time. At times, you might question your individual identity, your privilege and what you do. There might be a time when you face a conflict whether you are a social person for society or do you have individuality in you. Che talks about these conflicts and some other topics. A very interesting read!

Other Resources:

(Along with these readings, seek help from the below given resources that include different videos and podcasts. These will help you learn and also keep your interest up. At any point you feel exhausted, access these!)

PODCASTS:

Revolutionary Left Radio

Red Menace

Material Analysis Podcast

YOUTUBE VIDEOS:

Michael Parenti, The Darker Myths of Empire : A brilliant lecture on US imperialism and how empires have been created historically.

The Myth of Capitalism with Michael Parenti (Video): Have you always been told that capitalism brings prosperity and development? But to whom? What are the periods of depressions, how have they been covered up historically, and shattering some more myths, Michael Parenti gives you a learning you need.

How democracy works in Cuba: A model that would make you think, if we ever even had actually democracy?

Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (Film): A very captivating story of a few young students who were executed by the Nazi Germany for distributing anti-Nazi pamphlets in a University.

I am creating this list so I can share some theory resources with you. But only sharing these resources is not my objective. I wanted to share this because I realised that there are people out there who genuinely wish to learn about society but have been kept aloof due to the lack of awareness and faulty academic curriculums. But before we start, I must share with you some apprehensions that I have whenever I make such attempts on social media. It is a fact that most of the people here are coming from a privileged space. And I must say that I face difficulty in trusting people from these spaces and I have good reasons for the same. It might sound rude to you, but it is important for you to understand why I am saying so.

The left politics focuses on those who come from underprivileged sections, the sections that have been continuously oppressed in the capitalist system for their identity (race, caste, religion or gender), their class (economic status) or for other reasons. Left not only talks about these sections but it also aims at educating these people so they are able to understand their own lives better and are able to fight their oppressors consciously. Now for those who belong to these sections, political theory is a NEED. It does not come out of interest or simple curiosity to learn. Politics is a matter of life and death. And thus, the theory is a way towards emancipation for them. And even though they come from a background that has made it difficult for them to access learning, when given an opportunity, they would face much less difficulty in understanding theory as it is based on their living experiences. So if you think you belong to an oppressed section, skip the next paragraph.

That being explained, if you belong to a privileged class and still wish to learn, I would say that you must. But before that, you must introspect and ask yourself why you wish to learn. Repeating myself, if you wish to learn about the left because you find it cool, you think it would give you an intellectual superiority among your peers or it would help you debate better against your capitalist classmates, I would say that you need to rethink. It would absolutely defeat my objective of sharing these resources, if you would only want to read these for leisure or to add it to your reading list. You need to understand that coming from a privileged background, you have got a great chance that many don’t have. You have the access to education, to this list, to the books and to learning. Through your privileges, you can make large impacts on society but you will have to do it selflessly. Theory, though written for the underprivileged, still remains largely out of their reach. You have the privilege to read and you can use it to make it reach these people. You can use your learning and education to change lives. Ask yourself, what is the worth of your education and of all the books that you have read, if you would not be able to change one life? This moment, this decision of yours to read these texts, can change your life and of thousands out there, and this is not an exaggeration. You will have to keep this in mind throughout, that your efforts would mean something at the end. You will have to keep reminding yourself of the responsibility you hold towards the society. If you really believe in this, then my friend, I would suggest you go forward.

Note: This list is still growing and more texts would be added as you read and as I read. Now what is important for you to keep in mind is to try to maintain consistency. I know I have given out too many texts at once but you have to stop yourself from getting overwhelmed, trying to take a look at each and ending up reading none. Go slow but keep going. Also, as you read, discuss! It would not make any sense to you if you would just read them as academic pieces. Always remember, this is not homework. These are living texts, you are reading to bring out real impacts to the real lives. So, it is important for you to keep discussing and sharing with others what new you have learned every day. Put them up on your social media and try to keep educating others. Most importantly, as you read, try to relate these texts with current scenario. Try to analyse your real life situations according to these texts. These texts only give you a model, you have to fit in the situations and see how it makes sense. So when you read, look around and see how these texts talk about the society around you.

To understand why you must read, you can refer to these highlights. Further, I would suggest you to read writings of Bhagat Singh, to understand why as a student or a young person living in India, you must be political, the responsibility that you hold and the need of understanding the texts given below. It is us who have to bring Bhagat’s incomplete dream of socialist revolution to reality!

-List by Theo