Notes on Dialectics

by C.L.R. James

C.L.R. James is one of the leading Marxist interpreters of colonialism and anti-colonial struggle in the 20th century. Famous for his literary and cultural, as well as theoretical, writings, his thinking engaged with a vast range of issues including civil rights, race, class, socialism, cricket, and cultural production. Notes on Dialectics , first publsihed in 1948, is his key theoretical work. It os one of the most complex and original Marxist documents ever to come out of the U.S., where James lived for 15 years. It provides a thorough reexamination of of the Hegelian foundations of Marxist theory and a new interpretation of the history of thelabor movement through a close engagement with Hegel's Logic . To this day, the book represents a brilliant example of a living, productive engagement with Marxist theory and politics. This new edition, with a new introduction from leading James scholars, ensures that this classic books will continue to reach a new generation of scholars and students of Marxist theory as well as activists.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Politics, Theory

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1948

About the author

C. L. R. James (1901–1989), a Trinidadian historian, political activist, and writer, is the author of The Black Jacobins, an influential study of the Haitian Revolution and the classic book on sport and culture, Beyond a Boundary. His play Toussaint Louverture: The Story of the Only Successful Slave Revolt in History was recently discovered in the archives and published Duke University Press.

Reviews

[Wyatt strawbridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

for the first ~80 pages this book was a test of mental fortitude and strength, and then for the remaining stretch it was full of historical application and further theory where James found it necessary. I can't say I really needed to read all the rest of it, but as an introduction to Hegel's dialectics with a fair amount of personal input from James, I am definetly way smarter for it. 4 star theory 3 star book

[Khitkhite Buri · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first hundred pages were a pure pedagogic experience - oh, to be taught by a teacher again! Tautologically helpful. The latter sections on Lenin are tedious as methodological examples, and the rigor wanes. Confused about teleological tendencies here, but in so far as it is an introduction(which is what I want) I'm satisfied.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I often find James' writing style quite frustrating, but that frustration is usually offset by the quality of the content. However, this was not the case for Notes on Dialectics. The quality of the content really felt lacking in this text. I don't understand why James felt the need to use Hegel, and then Hegel through Lenin, to make a critique of his contemporary Trotskyist movement that, all in all, doesn't even particularly add up. The whole thing seems tediously and unnecessarily methodological, whilst also lacking in materialist analysis. Some of the critiques made seems to be basically - used in the hope that if you say it enough times maybe they will eventually become true. Perhaps the benefit of historical hindsight allows one to make these critiques of the political conclusions of this text, but nonetheless, I feel they stick.

If it wasn't for a few jovialities in the text and a few glimmers of good substance, in all honestly, this would have certainly been a 2 star review.

[DeterminedStupor]

Status: have only read up to “Essence is a Movement of Negation” (p. 82).