“I must say the tasks confronting the youth . . . might be summed up in a single word: learn.”—V. I. Lenin

The CYM places the greatest emphasis on education and learning. If we are to be revolutionaries we must be guided by revolutionary theory. Through study, discussion, experience and practice, socialist philosophy remains a guiding light to millions of workers and students worldwide.

Connolly Youth runs education classes and courses in both the Dublin and Belfast offices.

To find out more or to attend, contact
[email protected] or [email protected].

WCSP leaflet Pyramid of Capitalism

This course is designed to give the reader and activist a basic understanding of the many parts and components of what makes up socialist philosophy.

It serves as an introduction to Marxism and as an introduction to some of the many great revolutionary socialists we can learn from. In addition to this, as the Irish struggle and conditions are particular to our island the course contains some basic Irish history and some of the issues that face Irish socialists.

Education

Pedagogy of the Oppressed Paulo Freire

Freedom

Liberty: A Study in Bourgeois Illusion—Christopher Caudwell
Inaugural Address of the International Workingmen’s Association—Marx

Political theory

Communist Manifesto–Marx and Engels
The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism—Lenin

Philosophy

Socialism, Utopian and Scientific—Engels

Political economy

Introduction to Marxism—Emile Burns
Wage Labour and Capital—Marx

Imperialism

Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism—Lenin
US Imperialism, Europe and the Middle East—Samir Amin

Socialism and nationalism

Socialism and Nationalism—James Connolly
Self-Determination Summed Up—Lenin

United Irishmen, 1798

“Remember 1798”—Communist Party of Ireland
Labour in Irish History—James Connolly

Irish Freedom

The Reconquest of Ireland—James Connolly

Women and class

Women: Caste, Class or Oppressed Sex?—Evelyn Reed
Lenin on the Women’s Question—Clara Zetkin

The state

The State and Revolution—Lenin

The texts attached many be summaries or chapters and so may not contain the full text as written by the author.

Course 2 is planned to give the reader a further introduction to Marxism but also to concentrate on tactical questions and issues.

It also introduces some more contemporary writers who have developed the classics from their time and place to now. This is a practice we must continually engage in.

Education

The Murder Machine—P. H. Pearse

Marxist philosophy

The Marxist Doctrine—Lenin

Class struggle

The Time for Armed Struggle—William Pomeroy
Political and Military Forces in Revolutionary War—Le Duan

The state

The State and Revolution—Lenin

Women and class

“Only in conjunction with the proletarian women will socialism be victorious”—Clara Zetkin

Socialism and nationalism

Rethinking National Marxism—David Lloyd

Imperialism

Empire of Barbarism—Foster and Clarke

The texts attached many be summaries or chapters and so may not contain the full text as written by the author.

Below are more articles, some historical and some contemporary

They cover a wide variety of topics. Please send us anything you have written or have found useful to build this page into an educational resource for all.

Philosophy

• Culture, Class and Connolly (2007)—Terry Eagleton
• Introduction to Marxism (2007)—Gareth Murphy
• Marxism, Science, and Class Struggle (2005)—Bahman Azad
• “The part played by labour in the transition from ape to man” (1876)—Frederick Engels

International

• “Cuba: The aggression of an empire” (2006)—Gareth Murphy
• Notes from meeting with Lebanese Communist Party (2006)—Gareth Murphy
• Review of Samir Amin’s article “The millennium development goals: A critique from the south” (2006)—Gareth Murphy
• Polish workers in the Netherlands agricultural sector (2004)—Bartosz Bieszczad

Socialism

• “Socialism or barbarism: Can the world afford capitalism any longer?” (2006)—Paul O’Connell
• “The collapse of the USSR” (2004)—Gareth Murphy
• Principles of Communism—V. I. Lenin