CONFLICT & RESOLUTION
‘The Only Way is Exit?’ by Owen Davies (Year 13)
how China’s actions can fit into a wider narrative of empire. Drawing on Lenin’s approach to imperialism as the ‘Highest Stage of Capitalism’, we wondered whether China was depending on imperial aggression because of internal economic difficulties. Eventually, however, we concluded that this brand of imperialism was quite particular to ‘late capitalism’ and therefore requires a separate set of theories, which could take into account the extent to which the economy has become global. The society then took a more theoretical turn as we attempted to work out exactly what ‘dialectical materialism’ is supposed to be. The core philosophical component of Marx’s work, it proposes a theoretical system of infinite division of every thought into ‘Thesis’ and ‘Antithesis’, which in turn leads to a ‘Synthesis’. While this was inevitably complicated, we sought to demonstrate how all of us essentially think ‘dialectically’ all the time. After looking at the origins of the idea (tracing it from the Pre-Socratics, through Hegel and finally to Marx), we turned to its applications. Following Marx’s Capital , we attempted to analyse the history of human society as a clash of different classes and ideas. Most importantly, we looked towards our future, and tried to apply the system to a more advanced and more complex society, with the aim of identifying a possible resolution to the ideological conflicts we face today. Finally, we talked about the work of a specific figure: Theodor Adorno. A significant influence on the foundation of the society because of his analysis of fascism after World War Two, Adorno sought to explain the failure of communism in both the East and the West by analysing the ‘superstructure’ of capitalist society: consumer culture, art, music and the ideology with which people approach their everyday lives. Argument arose over the efficacy of his materialistic approach to art criticism, and whether many of his points about the relationship between ideology and art are rather obvious.
Overall, LeftSoc has tried to diminish somewhat the distance from which we — those whom the system protects — regard politics. The good attendance at every talk (even those dealing with specific and difficult matters of philosophical theory), from Years 9 to 13, was heartening, and we hope that those who attended felt pleased that such a society exists. In an era where young people form the bulwark of socialist politics, it is important that, in all walks of life, the value of radical theory is not overlooked. Our world is faced with unprecedented challenges: war, the refugee crises, starvation, climate change, mass invasions of privacy, sexism and racism mean that the number of people for whom capitalism offers no solution is growing. It is clear that, until we embrace the egalitarian maxims of socialism, most people in the world will be subjected to unprecedented barbarism.
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