Marxism and Art
As Leon Trotsky wrote in Literature and Revolution, “From the point of view of an objective historical process, art is always a social servant and historically utilitarian. It finds the necessary rhythm of words for dark and vague moods, it brings thought and feeling closer or contrasts them with one another, it enriches the spiritual experience of the individual and of the community, it refines feeling, makes it more flexible, more responsive, it enlarges the volume of thought in advance and not through the personal method of accumulated experience, it educates the individual, the social group, the class, and the nation.”
Humans have been making art for more than 50,000 years. But the rise of class society meant the total exclusion of the working masses from the world of art and culture, which became the monopoly of a wealthy few. Under capitalism, art has been transformed into just another commodity to be bought and sold. Today, the decadence and decay of capitalism is reflected in its often mind-numbingly vapid, derivative art.
Revolutionaries understand that “man does not live by bread alone.” The working class is fighting not only for political and economic emancipation, but also for the ability to enjoy the cultural treasures of civilization. Like Orpheus descending into the underworld to save Eurydice, communism will rescue human culture and creativity from the oblivion of capitalist society.
This discussion will be introduced by Jon Lange, a leading member of the RCA.
Reading list:
Articles
- Culture and Socialism – Leon Trotsky
- Marxism and Art: Introduction to Trotsky’s Writings on Art and Culture by Alan Woods
- A Muse of Fire: Art, Society and Revolution by Alan Woods
Books
- Literature and Revolution – Leon Trotsky
