WHO WE ARE
Marxist-Humanist Initiative (MHI) aims to contribute to the transformation of this capitalist world by projecting, developing, and concretizing the philosophy of Karl Marx (1818-1883) and its further development in the Marxist-Humanism articulated by Raya Dunayevskaya (1910-1987). The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and today’s many other social, political and economic crises, make this a m
oment to engage people in discussion of these ideas. In the US, we are faced with the threat of Trumpism triumphing in all-out authoritarianism, extinguishing our right to carry on these discussions. Yet at the same moment, the multiracial Movement for Black Lives has spread to every corner of the country and the world, launching a flood of activism and new ideas that deepen the concept of freedom. MHI is dedicated to the task of proving theoretically that an alternative to capitalism is possible. We are distinguished by our economic analyses, in which we do not merely assert, but demonstrate, that the only opposite to the current world economic system is its abolition and replacement with one not based on the production of “value.” Because capitalism cannot be fundamentally reformed, attempts to reform it lead to an intensification of state-capitalism, not to socialism. Nor are we trying to lead the masses, who will form their own organizations, and whose emancipation must be their own act. But we have seen that spontaneous actions alone are insufficient to usher in a new society. We seek a new unity of philosophy and organization in which mass movements striving for freedom lay hold of Marx’s philosophy of revolution and recreate society on its basis. Our ideas and actions, as well as our structure and rules, are guided by the interests of working people and freedom movements of people of color, LGBTQ people, other minorities, women, youth, and all those around the world who are struggling for self-determination in order to freely develop their own human natures. To this end, we open our website to the widest possible dialogue with people around the world. We intend to practice, as well as espouse, a two-way road between our organization and people outside it as essential to developing a single dialectic in the relationship of theory to practice—and as the way to assure the survival of Marxist-Humanism. We invite all to join us in this discussion and initiative. https://www.marxisthumanistinitiative.org/
