Book available for purchase from: Monthy Review Press |
José Carlos Mariátegui: An Anthology, edited and translated by Harry Vanden and Marc Becker (New York: Monthly Review Press, 2011). José Carlos Mariátegui is one of Latin America’s most profound but overlooked thinkers. A self-taught journalist, social scientist, and activist from Peru, he was the first to emphasize that those fighting for the revolutionary transformation of society must adapt classical Marxist theory to the particular conditions of Latin America. He also stressed that indigenous peoples must take an active, if not leading, role in any revolutionary struggle. Today Latin America is the scene of great social upheaval. More progressive governments are in power than ever before, and grassroots movements of indigenous peoples, workers, and peasants are increasingly shaping the political landscape. The time is perfect for a rediscovery of Mariátegui, who is considered an intellectual precursor of today’s struggles in Latin America but virtually unknown in the English-speaking world. This volume collects his essential writings, including many that have never been translated and some that have never been published. The scope of this collection, masterful translation, and thoughtful commentary make it an essential book for scholars of Latin America and all of those fighting for a new world, waiting to be born. Also see Marc Becker, Mariátegui and Latin American Marxist Theory, Latin American Series, No. 20 (Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Monographs in International Studies, 1993). Marc Becker, "José Carlos Mariátegui 85 Years Later," teleSUR (April 15, 2015). |
