Autonomist Marxism

Autonomism, or Autonomist Marxism is a left wing political movement and theory. Autonomism (autonomia) emerged in Italy in the 1960s from workerist (operaismo) communism. Later, post-Marxist and anarchist tendencies became significant after influence from Situationism, the failure of the Italian revolutionary era in the 1970s and the emergence of a number of important theorists including Antonio Negri. It influenced the German and Dutch autonomen, the worldwide Social Centre movement, and today is influential in Italy, the United States and some other English speaking countries. Those who describe themselves as 'autonomists' now vary from workerist marxists to post-structuralists and (some) anarchists.

Related Topics:
Workerist - Post-Marxist - Situationism - Antonio Negri - Autonomen - Marxists - Anarchists

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Autonomist theory, in contrast with other forms of Marxism, emphasises the ability of the working class to force changes to the organisation of the capitalist system independent of the state, trade unions or political parties. Autonomist Marxism is a "bottom up" theory: it is based upon how working class people actually resist capitalism. Like other Marxists, they see class struggle as of central importance, but unlike most Marxists, they have a broad definition of the working class that includes the waged (white collar and blue collar) and the unwaged (beneficiaries, homemakers and so on). Autonomists are less concerned with party political organisation, and with theoretical clarity, than other types of Marxist thought; instead it focuses on self-organised working class action and the development of its theoretical tools in accord with actual working class struggles. Early theorists were Mario Tronti, Antonio Negri, Sergio Bologna and others in Italy in the 1970s. It has influenced Marxist academics including Harry Cleaver, John Holloway Steve Wright, and Nick Dyer-Witheford.

Related Topics:
Marxism - Working class - Capitalist - State - Trade unions - Political parties - Mario Tronti - Antonio Negri - Sergio Bologna - Italy - Marxist - Harry Cleaver - John Holloway - Nick Dyer-Witheford

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Autonomism may also refer to the Dutch anarchist Autonomen movement from the 1960s which concentrated on squatting, or to the German Autonomen squats of the 1980s.

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Due to the inspiration provided by the Autonomist marxist and Autonomen movements for some of the revolutionary left, some English language leftist groups with a fundamentally libertarian socialist bent describe themselves as Autonomists, for example, the British WOMBLES.

Related Topics:
Libertarian socialist - WOMBLES

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