Socialisme ou Barbarie

Socialisme ou Barbarie (Socialism or Barbarism) was a French-based radical leftist group of the post-World War II period. It existed from 1948 until 1965, although in some ways it can be traced back to 1941. The animating personality was Cornelius Castoriadis, aka Pierre Chalieu or Paul Cardan. The group originated in the Trotskyist Fourth International.

Related Topics:
World War II - 1948 - 1965 - 1941 - Cornelius Castoriadis - Trotskyist - Fourth International

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It was a group of intellectuals and workers governed by the idea that the main enemies of society were the bureaucracies which governed modern capitalism. They set out to document and analyse the struggle against the bureaucracy. Thus Issue No. 13 (January-March 1954) was devoted to the East German revolt of June 1953 and the strikes which erupted amongst several sectors of French workers that summer.

Related Topics:
1954 - East German revolt of June 1953

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Following from the belief that the content of socialism was what the workers are already trying to work out in their daily struggles, the intellectuals encouraged the workers in the group to report on every aspect of their working lives.

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They were linked to the Johnson-Forrest Tendency, which developed as a body of ideas within American Trotskyist organisations as part of Facing Reality.

Related Topics:
Johnson-Forrest Tendency - Facing Reality

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This group was critical of Leninism, developing a rejection of the idea of a revolutionary party, and an emphasis on the importance of workers' councils. While some members left to form other groups, those remaining became became more and more critical of Marxism over time.

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Members of SouB:

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• Guy Debord
• Pierre Guillaume
• Claude Lefort
• Jean-François Lyotard

There was a sister organisation in Britain called Solidarity.

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External Links

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• Socialisme ou Barbarie: A French Revolutionary Group (1949-65) by Marcel van der Linden
• From the German Left to Socialisme ou Barbarie from le roman de nos origines - La Banquise No. 2 (1983)