Gilles Dauvé
Encyclopedia
Gilles Dauvé is a French
political theorist associated with left communism
.
In collaboration with other left communists such as François Martin
and Karl Nesic, Dauvé has attempted to fuse, critique, and develop different left communist currents, most notably the Italian movement associated with Amadeo Bordiga
(and its heretical journal Invariance), German-Dutch council communism
, and the French perspectives associated with Socialisme ou Barbarie
and the Situationist International. He has focused on theoretical discussions of economic issues concerning the controversial failure of Second International
Marxism
(including both Social Democracy
and Leninist "Communism"), the global revolutionary upsurge of the 1960s and its subsequent dissolution, and on developments in global capitalist accumulation and class struggle
.
Among English-speaking communists and anarchists
, Dauvé is best-known for his Eclipse and Re-emergence of the Communist Movement, first published by Black & Red Press (Detroit, Michigan
) in 1974 and Critique of the Situationist International, first published in Red Eye, Berkeley, California
. An essay from the first pamphlet, and the whole of the second article, were reprinted by Unpopular Books
in London as What is Communism (1983) and What is Situationism respectively, in 1987. The first pamphlet was reprinted with a new foreword in 1997 by Antagonism (London
). It includes Dauvé's own translations of two of his articles and one by François Martin
, both originally published in Le Mouvement Communiste (Paris: Champ Libre, 1972). These articles develop Bordiga's critique of Second International
productivism
in light of Marx's writings on formal and real subsumption and the global uprisings of 1968, and revise Bordiga's theory of communization by drawing on council communist and Situationist traditions.
Dauvé also participated in the journal La Banquise, which he edited with Karl Nesic and others from 1983 to 1986. This sought to develop the new communist program suggested in Le Mouvement Communiste through a critical appraisal of post-1968 radical politics, including Situationist and autonomist experiments. It also developed the theory of society's real subsumption into capital
. The editors describe their aims and influences in The Story of Our Origins (La Banquise, 2, 1983).
More recently, Dauvé, along with Nesic and others, has published the irregular journal Troploin, featuring articles on the collapse of both Leninist and Keynesian regimes of accumulation and the transition to "globalized" neoliberal expansion
, the Middle Eastern conflicts, September 11
, and the rhetoric and logic of the War on Terrorism
. Many have been translated into English by Dauvé himself and are archived on the Troploin website, http://troploin0.free.fr/.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
political theorist associated with left communism
Left communism
Left communism is the range of communist viewpoints held by the communist left, which criticizes the political ideas of the Bolsheviks at certain periods, from a position that is asserted to be more authentically Marxist and proletarian than the views of Leninism held by the Communist International...
.
In collaboration with other left communists such as François Martin
François Martin
François Martin was the first Governor General of Pondicherry. He founded Pondicherry, the future capital of French India in 1674. He was Commissioner of French East India Company before holding this post and was preceded by François Baron and succeeded by Pierre Dulivier. There is a street named...
and Karl Nesic, Dauvé has attempted to fuse, critique, and develop different left communist currents, most notably the Italian movement associated with Amadeo Bordiga
Amadeo Bordiga
Amadeo Bordiga was an Italian Marxist, a contributor to Communist theory, the founder of the Communist Party of Italy, a leader of the Communist International and, after World War II, leading figure of the International Communist Party.- Early life :Bordiga was born at Resina, in the province of...
(and its heretical journal Invariance), German-Dutch council communism
Council communism
Council communism is a current of libertarian Marxism that emerged out of the November Revolution in the 1920s, characterized by its opposition to state capitalism/state socialism as well as its advocacy of workers' councils as the basis for workers' democracy.Originally affiliated with the...
, and the French perspectives associated with Socialisme ou Barbarie
Socialisme ou Barbarie
Socialisme ou Barbarie was a French-based radical libertarian socialist group of the post-World War II period . It existed from 1948 until 1965...
and the Situationist International. He has focused on theoretical discussions of economic issues concerning the controversial failure of Second International
Second International
The Second International , the original Socialist International, was an organization of socialist and labour parties formed in Paris on July 14, 1889. At the Paris meeting delegations from 20 countries participated...
Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
(including both Social Democracy
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
and Leninist "Communism"), the global revolutionary upsurge of the 1960s and its subsequent dissolution, and on developments in global capitalist accumulation and class struggle
Class struggle
Class struggle is the active expression of a class conflict looked at from any kind of socialist perspective. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote "The [written] history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle"....
.
Among English-speaking communists and anarchists
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
, Dauvé is best-known for his Eclipse and Re-emergence of the Communist Movement, first published by Black & Red Press (Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
) in 1974 and Critique of the Situationist International, first published in Red Eye, Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. An essay from the first pamphlet, and the whole of the second article, were reprinted by Unpopular Books
Unpopular Books
Unpopular Books is a publisher in London's East End, producing leaflets, pamphlets and books.- Leaflets, pamphlets and booklets :* Jean Barrot - What is Communism * Jean Barrot - Fascism/Antifascism...
in London as What is Communism (1983) and What is Situationism respectively, in 1987. The first pamphlet was reprinted with a new foreword in 1997 by Antagonism (London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
). It includes Dauvé's own translations of two of his articles and one by François Martin
François Martin
François Martin was the first Governor General of Pondicherry. He founded Pondicherry, the future capital of French India in 1674. He was Commissioner of French East India Company before holding this post and was preceded by François Baron and succeeded by Pierre Dulivier. There is a street named...
, both originally published in Le Mouvement Communiste (Paris: Champ Libre, 1972). These articles develop Bordiga's critique of Second International
Second International
The Second International , the original Socialist International, was an organization of socialist and labour parties formed in Paris on July 14, 1889. At the Paris meeting delegations from 20 countries participated...
productivism
Productivism
Productivism is the belief that measurable economic productivity and growth is the purpose of human organization , and that "more production is necessarily good".-Arguments for productivism:...
in light of Marx's writings on formal and real subsumption and the global uprisings of 1968, and revise Bordiga's theory of communization by drawing on council communist and Situationist traditions.
Dauvé also participated in the journal La Banquise, which he edited with Karl Nesic and others from 1983 to 1986. This sought to develop the new communist program suggested in Le Mouvement Communiste through a critical appraisal of post-1968 radical politics, including Situationist and autonomist experiments. It also developed the theory of society's real subsumption into capital
Capital (economics)
In economics, capital, capital goods, or real capital refers to already-produced durable goods used in production of goods or services. The capital goods are not significantly consumed, though they may depreciate in the production process...
. The editors describe their aims and influences in The Story of Our Origins (La Banquise, 2, 1983).
More recently, Dauvé, along with Nesic and others, has published the irregular journal Troploin, featuring articles on the collapse of both Leninist and Keynesian regimes of accumulation and the transition to "globalized" neoliberal expansion
Expansion
- Mathematics :*Expansion *Polynomial expansion*Taylor expansion*expansion of a graph*The converse of a reduct, in model theory or universal algebra- Other uses :*Expansion card, in computer hardware*Expansion pack, in gaming...
, the Middle Eastern conflicts, September 11
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, and the rhetoric and logic of the War on Terrorism
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
. Many have been translated into English by Dauvé himself and are archived on the Troploin website, http://troploin0.free.fr/.
Selected works in English
- Eclipse and Re-emergence of the Communist Movement
- Critique of the Situationist International, 1979
- The Story of Our Origins
- The Perplexities of the Middle Eastern Conflict
- Grey September (on the issues raised after September 11, 2001, with Carasso and Nesic)
- Back to the Situationist International
Online archives
- Troploin (website archiving most recent pieces by former La Banquise editors Dauvé and Nesic, mostly in French but some in English and German)
- Gilles Dauvé Library (Libcom.org archive of Dauvé best-known English texts)
- Jean Barrot (John Gray's archive of earlier French, English, Italian, and German pieces)