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Topic Map · 8 of 10

Party Theory

Workers’ parties, organization, political press, discipline, and cadre development.

政党组织纪律partyorganizationdiscipline

Open Topic WorksBack to Map Overview
111Related works
5Study stages
8Related authors
Covered study stages

01 Class Intuition: Seeing Capitalism in Everyday Life; 04 State, Class Rule, and the Question of Revolution; 06 Organization, Mass Work, and Lawful Public Practice; 07 Culture, Ideology, and Publishing Fronts; 08 Internationalist Collaboration and Contemporary Tasks

Related authors

Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, V. I. Lenin, Mao Zedong, Antonio Gramsci, Rosa Luxemburg, IMRA Editorial Collective, Clara Zetkin

Reading Path

From questions to texts, station by station

Start with the core questions, then follow the entry, core, and advanced readings into concrete book and article pages.

Core Questions

  1. How can parties, publications, study circles, and documentation turn scattered experience into durable public capacity?

  2. What is the relation between political consciousness, spontaneous struggle, and theoretical education?

  3. How can organization serve the masses rather than substitute for them?

Entry Reading

4 texts
1848 · Karl Marx, Friedrich EngelsFull textManifesto of the Communist PartyProgrammatic communist text on class struggle and proletarian political tasks.1875 · Karl MarxFull textCritique of the Gotha ProgrammeDiscusses transition, distribution, the state, and workers' party programs.1894 · V. I. LeninFull textWhat the "Friends of the People" Are and How They Fight the Social-DemocratsCritiques Narodism and clarifies Russian capitalism and Marxist method.1902 · V. I. LeninFull textWhat Is To Be Done?Classic debate text on political newspaper, vanguard, consciousness, and organization.

Core Reading

5 texts
1847 · Friedrich EngelsFull textPrinciples of CommunismDirect preparatory text for the Manifesto and a useful programmatic primer.1908 · V. I. LeninFull textMarxism and RevisionismSummarizes revisionism in philosophy, economics, and politics.1917 · V. I. LeninFull textThe April ThesesSets out the turn from February toward socialist revolution.1920 · V. I. LeninFull textLeft-Wing Communism: An Infantile DisorderDiscusses tactics, parliament, unions, and compromise in the communist movement.1938 · Mao ZedongFull textThe Role of the Chinese Communist Party in the National WarDiscusses party leadership, united front, and independence in the national war.

Advanced Reading

5 texts
1864 · Karl MarxFull textInaugural Address of the International Working Men's AssociationProgrammatic First International text linking labor movements, internationalism, and politics.1872 · Friedrich EngelsFull textOn AuthorityAddresses authority in organization, production, and revolution against anarchist arguments.1873 · Friedrich EngelsFull textThe Bakuninists at WorkDraws lessons from Spain and critiques adventurism and anti-organizational politics.1891 · Friedrich EngelsFull textCritique of the Draft Social-Democratic Programme of 1891Critiques workers' party program, republic, state, and strategy.1905 · V. I. LeninFull textParty Organization and Party LiteratureDiscusses party spirit, publishing work, and organizational responsibility.

Common Misreadings

  • Reading organization theory as commandism.
  • Opposing mass experience to theoretical education.
  • Treating historical organizational debates as contemporary operational manuals.