The Iron Heel (1907) is a novel by American writer Jack London. A groundbreaking work of dystopian science fiction, The Iron Heel was, inspired by London's socialist views and belief in an eventual global upheaval. Although his predictions proved wrong for the United States of the early-twentieth century, London was, recognized by such figures as George Orwell for his foresight regarding the rise of fascism in Europe. The novel is, told from the perspective...

The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality by Austrian School economist and libertarian thinker Ludwig von Mises is an investigation into the psychological roots of the anti-capitalistic stance that is widespread in the general populations of the capitalist world. Von Mises suggests various reasons for this mentality, primarily his claim that free competition in the market economy allows no excuses of one's failures. Rather, he argues, it creates great incentive...

The Communist Manifesto was first, published on February 21, 1848, and it is one of the world's most influential political tracts. Commissioned by the Communist League and written by communist theorists Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, it laid out the League's purposes and program. The Manifesto suggested a course of action for a proletarian (working class) revolution to overthrow the ruling class of bourgeoisie and to eventually, bring about a classless...

First written in French and originally appearing as a series of articles in 1892, "The Conquest of Bread" is the most famous and enduring work by Peter Kropotkin, the Russian political philosopher and anarchist. In this widely influential and often cited work, Kropotkin presents his arguments against feudalism and capitalism. These economic systems rely on and perpetuate poverty, misery, and scarcity, while protecting and promoting the privilege of...

Written in 1844 as a series of notes, Marx's posthumously published critiques on the conditions of modern industrialist societies forms the foundation of the author's denunciation of capitalism. Combining elements of psychology, sociology, and anthropology, it is a profound examination of the human condition rooted in a philosophy of economics. In this concise treatise, Marx presents an indictment of capitalism and its threat to the working man, his...

"The Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844" is the influential study of the hazards of the Industrial Revolution by the German philosopher Frederick Engels. This important contribution to the development of modern Socialism was written while Engels spent two years living in Manchester, England, the city traditionally viewed as where the Industrial Revolution began. Engels viewed England's productivity and efficiency in manufacturing to...

Escrito en 1848 por dos revolucionarios de 28 y 30 años, olvidado o revitalizado según el momento histórico, el Manifiesto Comunista se irradió por todo el globo y se tradujo a todas las lenguas, excediendo largamente la esfera del movimiento obrero y las izquierdas. Incluso después del fin del comunismo soviético y la declinación de los partidos marxistas, el Manifiesto se afirma como el clásico político más influyente, con mucho que decir...

'The Debordian analysis of modern life resonates more deeply and darkly than perhaps even its creator thought possible...' - The New Yorker 'Never before has Debord's work seemed quite as relevant as it does now' - The Guardian 'Guy Debord is a time bomb, and a difficult one to defuse.' - Michael Löwy First published in 1967, Guy Debord's stinging revolutionary critique of contemporary society, The Society of the Spectacle has since...

For Helen's family, the 1920s were turbulent but full of hope. A revolution overthrew the Qing Dynasty. China entered the Golden Age of Capitalism. Helen's uncle founded a bank when he and Helen's father were in their thirties. They worked and expanded the business. After fifteen-years, it became one of China's largest private banks. While the banking business was booming, the Japanese invaded China. It interrupted the bank's development. Helen's...

Marx published "The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte" in 1852. The "Eighteenth Brumaire" refers to November 9, 1799 in the French Revolutionary Calendar-the day Napoleon Bonaparte made himself dictator. In this piece, Marx traces how the clash of different public interests manifest themselves in the complex net of political struggles, and in particular the contradictory relationships between the external form of a struggle and its real social...