Karl Marx is a towering figure – a radical, a revolutionary, and a political economist. Over the last 200 years his ideas have shaped the Left across the world. But what did he actually say?

This session will introduce the basic ideas that Marx wrote about – from the process of Marx becoming a “Marxist”, to his theory of social change, class, the process of exploitation, and why we need a revolution to overthrow capitalism.

Marx’s ideas hold timeless relevance for a world more riven by inequality than ever, and serve as a guide for radicals today who are trying to build a new one.

Can we reform capitalism or do we need a revolution to overthrow it altogether? This is a question that every social movement that is fighting for radical change is forced to confront.

Marxists argue that it’s impossible to reform our way to socialism because the state is a tool of capitalist rule not a neutral body, and the experience of a revolution is needed to overcome all the muck of ideology that capitalism forces on us.

This session will look at the lessons of Lenin and the Bolsheviks in the Russian Revolution, and a case study of Chile in the 1970s – an example of how a reformist strategy is doomed to defeat.

Israel’s war on Gaza has opened the eyes of a whole generation to the horrors of war. It has become clear that there are no limits to the barbarism or atrocities that Australia or the US will tolerate from their political allies. So much for the ‘free and democratic’ world! But while this insight is so important, it can and has led many to the conclusion that the West’s enemies – countries like Russia and Iran – are therefore politically supportable.

As well, there is the view that ‘poor’ countries in the global south are somehow opposed to imperialism and exploitation.

This session will explore the nature of global imperialism as an outgrowth of capitalist competition, which means that the ruling class the world over are complicit in it. It will then look at debates on the left, including why being anti-American is not the same as anti-imperialist, and make the case for a revolutionary internationalism based on solidarity between workers across the world.

Many generations of activists have been radicalised by their opposition to the horrific mistreatment of women, racial minorities, the LBGTQ community and other oppressed groups. 

Socialists have always been on the front lines in struggles against these injustices, from the civil rights movement in the US through to the recent victory of marriage equality here in Australia. But given the enduring nature of these oppressions, it’s not enough to simply resist, we need to understand why they exist and how they can be abolished once and for all. 

Marxists have a unique and vital perspective, which is that the terrible treatment of oppressed groups today is the direct product of the capitalist system which relies on exploitation, division and social hierarchies for its survival. This session will look at these links between capitalism and oppression, making the case that you cannot have one without the other. 

It will also suggest ways of fighting that empower us to overcome differences and build a common front against the rich and powerful. This will be discussed in opposition to the more popular identity politics that dominates the liberal left today.

What does it mean to be a Marxist in practice? Is it enough to have the right ideas? 

For some, being a leftist means developing your politics as an individual, and attending left wing events and protests. For Marx and his successors, it means familiarising yourself with theory and history, and convincing others of your arguments for a better world. 

For a socialist revolution to succeed, it needs to be led by the working class. But this isn’t enough.

This session will discuss the question of organisation – what it is and why we need it. We’ll talk about the theory underpinning the revolutionary party, using Lenin and the Bolsheviks’ intervention in the Russian revolution as a case study.