Scott H.’s Writings
Essays, articles, reviews, etc., on philosophy, economics, politics and other topics,
all from the perspective of revolutionary Marxism (i.e., Marxism-Leninism-Maoism)
This is intended to be a complete list of all my writings, together with links to each item. The list is not yet nearly complete, but I am working on it! I am creating this list primarily for my own convenience, not because I believe my “collected works” are of any special importance. However, there may be others who are curious about my comments on this or that topic, and this list will also help them find the items they are interested in.
Most of my writings are posted on either MASSLINE.ORG or MASSLINE.INFO. Both of these sites contain materials written by me as well as materials written by other people. MASSLINE.INFO is devoted to the specific topics of the mass line method of revolutionary leadership and having a mass perspective, while MASSLINE.ORG has sections covering many other subject areas, including philosophy, political economy, and politics. Here are the primary links for each subject area:
- Philosophy: http://www.massline.org/Philosophy
- Philosophical doggerel (limericks, clerihews, etc.): http://www.massline.org/PhilosDog
- Political Economy: http://www.massline.org/PolitEcon
- Politics: http://www.massline.org/Politics
- The mass line: http://www.massline.info
To make suggestions, comments or criticisms about this site or any of my writings, please contact me at: scotth@massline.org
Note: Some of the documents and essays below are fairly long and are much easier to read and consider if you print them out first. That will also give you the margins you’ll need to write down your criticisms. (I would very much like to hear from you about those criticisms!) Also note that some essays are listed more than once in the subcategories below, since they address more than one topic.
—Scott H.
Section 1: GENERAL WORKS ON MULTIPLE TOPICS
- Dictionary of Revolutionary Marxism — Includes a growing number of terms in philosophy, politics, and political economy.
Section 2: PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy - General
- [To be added.]
Philosophy - The Theory of Knowledge (Epistemology)
- “Can We Really Understand the World?” (3/20/89) — Discusses questions such as: “Could the world be such that we might not be able to understand how it really works?”
- “Do We Know For Certain that the Earth Goes Around the Sun?” (11/14/97) — Opposes “epistemological agnosticism”, the view that says we can never know anything (or at least that we can never know anything for sure).
Dialectics
- [To be added.]
Materialism & the Philosophy of Mind
- “On the Analogy Between Mind/Brain and Software/Hardware” (12/4/92) — Defends a dialectical materialist version of functionalism.
Philosophy of Science & “Metaphysics”
- “Chopping Onions and Pragmatism” (April 2007) — Applying the scientific approach to an everyday task.
- “A Scientific Philosophy of Science: Some Comments on Keith Campbell” (June 1986) — Some fundamental points about the nature of science and “metaphysics”.
- “The Impossibility of Infinitely Small Particles” (3/5/89) — Argues that no physical particle is ever really a “point”.
- Review of: Michio Kaku — Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the Tenth Dimension [1994] (9/11/95)
- Review notes by Scott H. of: Robert B. Laughlin, A Different Universe: Reinventing Physics from the Bottom Down [2005] (11/10/06)
- “Mysticism and Modern Physics” (10/11/88) — Comments on Fritjof Capra’s The Tao of Physics and Ken Wilber’s Quantum Questions.
Religion
- Review of Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion [2006] (6/25/07)
- “The ‘Higher Criticism’ Revisited” (3/22/98) — A review of: Charles Pellegrino - Return to Sodom & Gomorrah [1994].
- “On the ‘Spiritual Aspect of Reality’ and Pantheism” (6/12/02) — Letter arguing that even the most abstract forms of religion are unscientific.
Ethics
-
The Marxist-Leninist-Maoist Class Interest Theory of Ethics, (As of 6/9/08)
— The beginning portion of a book in progress. (Draft of the first two chapters only,
in PDF
format or in Microsoft
Word format.)
[Other excerpts from the draft of this book:]
- “The Origin of Classes and the Origin of War” — From chapter 4 of the book, in both PDF format and Microsoft Word format.
- “A ‘Family Tree’ of Ethical Theories” — Section 10.10 from chapter 10 of the book, in both PDF format and Microsoft Word format.
- “Alain Badiou: A Pseudo-Maoist Obscurantist” — A brief discussion of Alain Badiou’s book Ethics: An Essay on the Understanding of Evil. This is section 12.10, in both PDF format and Microsoft Word format.
- “The Origin of Morality, and the Morality of Revolutionary Violence” (12/17/08) — A letter about two topics not yet included in the posted portions of the book in progress on MLM ethics.
- “The ‘Problem of Altruism’” (12/27/93) — Opposes the view that “really” there is no such thing as altruism.
- Review of Bob Avakian’s “We Need Morality, But Not Traditional Morality” (1/23/96) — Includes some comments on Marxist-Leninist ethics in general.
- “Report on a Discussion between Bill Martin and Raymond Lotta about Martin and Avakian’s book, Marxism and the Call of the Future” (4/29/07) — Includes some criticism of Kantian ethics.
Political Philosophy
- “A Virtual Debate With Gandhi About Non-Violence” (12/11/88) — About 35 Gandhi quotations critically analyzed.
- “Are Cops Really That Bad?” (11/24/01) — Letter discussing the nature of the police.
- “Social Pressure as a Moral & Political Tool” (6/12/98) — Defends the use of social pressure when it advances the cause of the people.
- Excerpt from an unfinished document focusing on people’s interests and the scientific method applied to Marxism. (8/23/98) — Inspired by a dispute within a circle of revolutionaries in the 1990s over the question of whether or not MLM can properly be considered a science.
- “Why Marxism-Leninism-Maoism is a Science” (2/6/97) — Explains why Marxism is properly considered a science.
- “Notes on Notes on Political Economy” (2/25/00) — A critique of an RCP document about the errors they made in their “1980s analysis” and their current views on the world economic situation. Focuses on philosophical and methodological issues.
Aesthetics
- [To be added.]
Other Topics in Philosophy
- Philosophical Doggerel Home Page — Limericks, clerihews, ditties and other doggerel on philosophic themes.
Section 3: POLITICAL ECONOMY
General
- The Definition of ‘Capitalism’ (March 2003) — A letter to friends.
Capitalist Imperialism and “Globalization”
- “Lenin on Imperialism” (2007) [PDF 237 KB] — A 10-page discussion of Lenin’s views on imperialism in light of the new evidence and changes since his day.
- “What Really are ‘Economic Reforms’?” (1/31/01) — Some brief comments accompanying a Reuters report forwarded to friends.
Crises — Capitalist Economic Crisis Theory
- An Introductory
Explanation of Capitalist Economic Crises (2008) — This work discusses
both the underlying and surface contradictions involved in capitalist crises.
[The first 5 chapters are now available. More will be added later.]
- Introduction
- Chapter I: The Basic Contradictions Underlying Capitalist Economic Crises
- Chapter II: The Surface Layer of Contradictions
- Chapter III: How Are Capitalist Economic Crises Overcome?
- Chapter IV: Capitalist Economic Crises in the Imperialist Era
- Chapter V: The Industrial Cycle Has Split in Two!
- “False Lessons from the Great Depression” (7/14/03) — A criticism of two main points in Peter Temin’s book, Lessons from the Great Depression.
- “Was Marx’s ‘Early Theory’ of Overproduction/Underconsumption Dropped by Him Later On?” (4/9/01) — A letter arguing that he did not do so, even though he did add other extraneous theories to his overall theory of economic crises. Also discusses the limitations of the crisis theory put forward in Engels’ Anti-Dühring.
- “The Difference Between Rosa Luxemburg and V.I. Lenin on Economic Crisis Theory” (2/25/01) — A letter to a friend.
- Letter to Bob Avakian on Imperialist War and Capitalist Economic Cycles (12/2/79).
- “The ‘Capital Shortage’ Myth: A Dangerous Error in Political Economy” (Jan. 1977).
- “Comments on Sison’s ‘Contradictions in the World Capitalist System and the Necessity of Socialist Revolution’” (1/23/02) — Discussion of Jose Maria Sison’s view of the world economic and political situation, as well as a critique of the “General Crisis of Capitalism” thesis.
Crises — The Current Economic Crisis
- “Is the Current Economic Crisis a Crisis of Overproduction?” (July 11, 2008) — This letter responds to a question about the nature of the currently developing crisis, and also addresses the issue of the means that imperialist powers use to dump the effects of their own crises onto the backs of people of the countries they exploit.
- “The Onion is More Correct Than They Realize!” (7/24/08) — A serious commentary about a satirical article from The Onion entitled “Recession-Plagued Nation Demands New Bubble To Invest In”.
- “Is It Socialism?” (Sept. 25-27, 2008) — An email discussion between Scott H. and his friend Kirby about whether the bailouts and partial nationalization of several banks and financial institutions by the U.S. government should be considered “socialism”.
- “The Worst is Yet to Come” (Nov. 22, 2008) — A Reuters article about the top IMF economist predicting the worst of the current financial/economic crisis is yet to come, together with my brief commentary.
- “Is It a ‘Depression’?” (Feb. 7, 2009) — An email agreeing with a friend that the current economic crisis is now quite appropriately considered to be the early stages of a new depression comparable to that of the 1930s.
- “Marxist Analysis at Business Week???” (Feb. 8, 2009) — A short commentary on an article by Peter Coy in Business Week magazine which pointed out that, contrary to what most (bourgeois) economists think, overcapacity is a major reason for the current economic crisis. My commentary agrees with this claim, but thinks that Coy doesn’t go far enough, and that he’s inconsistent in his views.
- “Fantasies About the Economic ‘Narrow Escape’” (Dec. 21 & 24, 2009) — A letter to friends arguing that all the comments about the U.S. and world economies having “narrowly escaped” a Second Great Depression are not just grossly premature, but actually an outright fantasy! Includes a second letter explaining in more detail my theory why this is so. PDF Version [268 KB]; MS Word Version [67 KB]
-
“‘Underwater’ Mortgages—Why Don’t People Just Walk Away?” (Jan. 24, 2010) — A short letter to
friends commenting on an article in the New York Times (included as an appendix) about how
surprisingly many people are continuing to pay their mortgages on homes that are worth less than they
still owe on them!
PDF Version [219 KB];
MS Word Version [62 KB]
Japan's Economy
- “Japan’s Economy Gets Worse — So Does World’s” (9/10/01) — A letter to friends.
- “Japan Shows that Capitalist Stagnation is Indeed Possible” (2/08/01) — A letter to friends.
The Labor Theory of Value
- “Steve Keen on
Marxist Economics, & a Mini Essay on the Labor Theory of Value” (9/3/03)
— A very one-sided review of Steve Keen’s Debunking Economics, focusing
on the single chapter on Marxist economics, and the labor theory of value in
particular. Puts forward the theory that past labor (in the form of tools and
machines) can also contribute to surplus value in the current labor process.
- Letter to Frank S. about the labor theory of value (12/8/03) — My friend Frank criticized my theory about machines being able to contribute to surplus value and my comments about Say’s “Law”. This is my response.
- “Additional Comments on Say’s ‘Law’—and the Consequences of Failing to Recognize its Fallaciousness” (1/15/04) — A continuation of the above, after a discussion with Frank.
- Letter on the Morality of the Continued Exploitation of Labor Through the Use of Machines Created by Past Labor” (1/16/09) — A further discussion of some ethical issues related to my modified version of the LTV.
Other Topics in Political Economy
- “Humanity Today and Demographics” (12/10/08) [PDF 326 KB] — An 11-page summary of the U.S. and world population growth, fertility, ageing, urbanization, immigration, etc.
- Letter on the Relationship of Marxism and Keynesianism (1/15/09).
- The Real U.S. Unemployment Rate in 2006 (2007) [PDF: 203 KB] — Explains why the real unemployment rate is well over twice as great as the government and media claim.
- “Harry Dent’s Demography-Based Economic Theory” (12/2/00) — A letter to friends.
- “Notes on Notes on Political Economy” (2/25/00) — A critique of an RCP document about the errors they made in their “1980s analysis” and their current views on the world economic situation.
- “First Notes Towards a Critique of America in Decline” (2/12/99) — A review, of sorts, of a major 1984 RCP book on political economy.
- “The Many Types of Capitalist Economic Anarchy” (2/23/83).
Section 4: POLITICS
Politics in General
- “A Virtual Debate With Gandhi About Non-Violence” (12/11/88) — About 35 Gandhi quotations together with responses.
- “Social Pressure as a Moral & Political Tool” (6/12/98) — Defends the use of social pressure when it advances the cause of the people.
The Capitalist-Imperialist System
- The Definition of ‘Capitalism’ (March 2003) — A letter to friends.
- “As
Children Starve... U.S. Gives Billions to Banks!” (11/18/08) — A letter
to friends, together with a CNN article about all the starving children in
the world today.
- “Is Overpopulation the Cause of Hunger and Starvation?”, an email exchange between Scott H. and his friend Kirby. (11/21/08)
- “Are Cops Really That Bad?” (11/24/01) — Letter discussing the nature of the police.
Bourgeois Politics, Elections, etc.
-
"A Short Introduction to the MLM Conception of Fascism", [S.H.] (12/13/09) — A 19-page essay
contrasting the revolutionary proletarian idea of fascism with the standard bourgeois conception.
PDF Version [335 KB];
MS Word Version [122 KB]
- “A Response to the Paper on Elections” (7/4/72) — An old paper urging a policy of critical support for McGovern in the 1972 presidential election, and proposing two criteria which must hold before Marxists support bourgeois politicians.
- Discussion of Leftist Views on the 2004 Presidential Election — Scott H.’s reply to a query from his friend Kirby. Also discusses how serious the threat of full-scale fascism should be taken.
- A Discussion About Whether it Was Correct to Support Kerry in the 2004 Presidential Election — A 3-way discussion between Scott, “Carol” and “Kirby” about how revolutionaries and progressive people should participate in elections.
- Review of Oliver Stone’s 1986 movie, Platoon (Feb. 1987) — Criticizes the liberal view of the Vietnam War.
- “Why Nothing is Done about Bush’s Lies Leading to the Iraq War” (8/10/08) — A short letter, which also links to some further revelations about Bush’s lies.
The American Revolutionary Movement — General
- “Why Marxism-Leninism-Maoism is a Science” (2/6/97) — Explains why revolutionary Marxism is properly considered a science.
- “Expertise and the Mass Line” (7/29/02) — Letter posted during a discussion on the Progressive Economists News List.
- “Expertise and Vanguard Parties” (7/30/02) — Letter responding to a criticism of the item just above. Explains what a vanguard party really is.
- “On the Question of Multiple Revolutionary Parties” (4/11/00) — Explores the question of whether more than one revolutionary party is desirable or necessary, and the issue of factions within the party.
- “How Critical Should Revolutionaries Be of Each Other?” (10/21/04)
Building a New Revolutionary Party in the U.S.
- [To be added.]
The Revolutionary Communist Party, USA
- Documents from an early struggle: The Expulsion of Scott H. from the RCP in 1977 - Proof that it doesn’t pay to be too enthusiastic about the mass line when you are a member of the RCP!
- “First Notes Towards a Critique of America in Decline” (2/12/99) — A review, of sorts, of a major 1984 RCP book on political economy.
- Book chapter: “The Mass Line, Reformist Struggle, & the Revolutionary Goal”. This is chapter 19 of my book The Mass Line and the American Revolutionary Movement. This chapter is largely a critique of the RCP’s line toward the masses, as expressed in their 1981 Programme (in force until 2001).
- “On the RCP Announcement of their New Programme Project” (11/2/99)
- “How to ‘Fake’ the Mass Line” (12/13/01) — Includes some criticism of the 2001 RCP “draft” programme.
- Debate (of sorts): Between Scott H. and several RCP members/supporters in the spring of 2002 regarding the new RCP programme “draft” and the political line of the RCP. Includes a couple of post-debate exchanges with RCP members about the mass line.
- “Notes on Notes on Political Economy” (2/25/00) — A critique of an RCP document about the errors they made in their “1980s analysis” and their current views on the world economic situation.
The Freedom Road Socialist Organization — (Actually two groups with this name since the organization split in 1999.)
- “Comments on FRSO’s View of the Mass Line” (9/10/03) — A critique of two FRSO documents presenting and discussing the mass line, and the general political work of the FRSO groups.
- Discussion: Examining FRSO’s Line Toward the Masses (3/16/06) — A discussion of the line of one of the FRSO groups (the one pushing the “Left Refoundation” idea). This discussion began on a blog maintained by a revolutionary friend, “Celticfire”, when an apparent FRSO member or supporter by the name of “Nelson H.” posted a criticism of some of my comments on FRSO which appear on massline.info. (See above reference.) This is my reply.
International Politics
- China:
- “Letter discussing criticisms made of Ranganayakamma’s article against the Mao personality cult”, by “Warren” (a.k.a. Scott H.). (3/19/07)
- India:
- Revolutionary Organizations in India (Updated in 2005) — A 30 to 35 page examination of the many Mao-influenced revolutionary groups in India, together with some of their organizational history.
- Philippines:
- “Comments on Sison’s ‘Contradictions in the World Capitalist System and the Necessity of Socialist Revolution’” (1/23/02) — Discussion of Jose Maria Sison’s view of the world economic and political situation.
- U.S.S.R.:
- “Mao’s Evaluations of Stalin: A Collection and Summary”, ed. by Scott H. for the Single Spark Collective, (9/6/06) — About 40 pages long.
(More to be added later.)
Section 5: MISCELLANEOUS
[To be added.]