Change the World Without Taking Power - Old Edition: The Meaning of Revolution Today

A new, updated edition of John Holloway's acclaimed guide to the politics of revolution and protest. The wave of political demonstrations since Seattle have crystallized a new trend in left-wing politics. Modern protest movements are grounding their actions in both Marxism and Anarchism, fighting for radical social change in terms that have nothing to do with the taking of state power. This is in clear opposition to the traditional Marxist theory of revolution which centers on taking state power. In this book, the author asks how we can reformulate our understanding of revolution as the struggle against power, not for power. After a century of failed attempts by revolutionary and reformist movements to bring about radical social change, the concept of revolution itself is in crisis. Holloway opens up the theoretical debate, reposing some of the basic concepts of Marxism in a critical development of the subversive Marxist tradition represented by Adorno, Bloch, and Lukacs, among others, and grounded in a rethinking if Marx's concept of "fetishization"—How doing is transformed into being. “This is a most compelling book. A must read, and already a classic.” —Werner Bonefeld, The University of York John Holloway is a Professor in the Instituto de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades of the Benemirita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla in Mexico. His publications include Crack Capitalism (Pluto, 2010), Change the World Without Taking Power (Pluto, 2005), Zapatista! Rethinking Revolution in Mexico (co-editor, Pluto, 1998) and Global Capital, National State and The Politics of Money (co-editor, 1994). The series of demonstrations since Seattle have crystallised a new trend in left-wing politics. Popular support across the world for the Zapatista uprising and the enthusiasm which it has inspired has led to new types of protest movement that ground their actions on both Marxism and Anarchism. These movements are fighting for radical social change in terms that have nothing to do with the taking of state power. This is in clear opposition to the traditional Marxist theory of revolution which centres on taking state power. In this book, John Holloway asks how we can reformulate our understanding of revolution as the struggle against power, not for power.After a century of failed attempts by revolutionary and reformist movements to bring about radical social change, the concept of revolution itself is in crisis. John Holloway opens up the theoretical debate, reposing some of the basic concepts of Marxism in a critical development of the subversive Marxist tradition represented by Adorno, Bloch and Lukacs, amongst others, and grounded in a rethinking of Marx's concept of 'fetishisation'-- how doing is transformed into being. The struggle for radical change, Holloway argues, far from being marginalised, is becoming more and more embedded in our everyday lives. Revolution today must be understood as a question, not as an answer. Change the World Without Taking Power: The Meaning of Revolution Today is a book by John Holloway that looks at the understanding of power as the central focal point of how to effect meaningful change. Holloway uses two definitions of power, 'power-over' and 'power-to' in order to understand the difference between power from authority, power over someone else, and the power to do something, the capacity for action. Holloway argues we should never simply assume the legitimacy of anything with 'power-over' someone else and goes as far as saying this is true for the state - we should not 'fetishise' the state to the extent of simply assuming its role, responsibilities, and authority. 1.. Scream -- 2.. Beyond The State? -- 3.. Beyond Power? -- 4.. Fetishism: The Tragic Dilemma -- 5.. Fetishism And Fetishisation -- 6.. Anti-fetishism And Criticism -- 7.. Tradition Of Scientific Marxism -- 8.. Critical-revolutionary Subject -- 9.. Material Reality Of Anti-power -- 10.. Material Reality Of Anti-power And The Crisis Of Capital -- 11.. Revolution? John Holloway. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 229-233) And Indexes.