Erik Olin Wright (1947–2019)

Erik Olin Wright was radicalized in the 1960s and remained a Marxist because his moral compass simply wouldn't allow him to drift away. With his death, the Left has lost one of its most brilliant intellectuals.

A Real Utopian in Practice and Theory

The characteristics of the middle class, sociology as a discipline, the uses of "utopia," strategies for ending capitalism, the lives of students and colleagues — Erik Olin Wright transformed all of them and more.

An Anticapitalism That Can Win

We should engage with and update the revolutionary Marxist tradition — not reject it.

A Life of Contradiction and Clarity

Erik Olin Wright understood the necessity of clearly articulating what’s wrong with society, what a better society could look like, and how we could get there.

A Beautiful Human Link

When it was unfashionable to talk about capitalism, Erik Olin Wright taught generations of students to think about how class actually works — and was curious, enthusiastic, and endlessly generous while doing it.

How to Be a Socialist in the Twenty-First Century

Erik Olin Wright devoted his life to figuring out ways the world could finally leave capitalism behind. His final book holds crucial lessons about which strategies belong to the past and which ones can build the bridge to a socialist future.

All Ideas Are Political

As socialists, we believe that all ideas are political. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t subject our claims to rigorous, empirical scrutiny.

A Model for Us All

The eminent Marxist sociologist Erik Olin Wright was serious about understanding and changing the world — and was generous, curious, and kind while doing it.

Why Class Matters

Erik Olin Wright on class, socialism, and the meaning of Marxism.

Chasing Utopia

Worker ownership and cooperatives will not succeed by competing on capitalism's terms.

Bernie Sanders Believes in Mass Politics — Something the New York Times Can’t Wrap Their Minds Around

The recent questioning of Bernie Sanders by the New York Times editorial board revealed that they see no difference between right-wing populism and democratic socialism. But Bernie wants to mobilize people to discipline the power of big business, not scapegoat the oppressed.

Social Democracy’s Breaking Point

We need a politics that acknowledges that the social-democratic class compromise is unsustainable.

Stardust to Stardust

We Need a Revival of Marxist Class Analysis

Without solid data, discussions about class and class consciousness are often just guesswork. Empirical Marxist studies of class structure and class consciousness are invaluable for a robust socialist politics, and we need more of it.

Internet for the Many

The UK Labour Party is campaigning on a platform of providing broadband free to everyone in Britain through a new public company. It can be the start of a radically democratic approach to the internet.

How to Be a Marxist

Blending Kierkegaard with Hegel and Marx, Martin Hägglund’s This Life offers a new generation of socialists a guide to living a life of radical political commitment.

The ABCs of Socialism

Don't study collective action alone.

Management by Metrics Is Upending Newsrooms and Killing Journalism

Designed to discipline workers into producing clickable and profitable content, newsroom analytics are radically changing the nature of media work — and hastening journalism’s ugly decline.

The Wrong Kind of UBI

Without the right design, a universal basic income would do little to advance radical change.

BookMarx (3/28/2013)

We're busy finishing up issue ten, but the Jacobin Politburo demands more cheap SEO fodder . . .