Section III — Rae Spiegel’s translations of Leon Trotsky’s writings; other translations, articles and related letters. 1937-38.

(1) “Ninety Years of the Communist Manifesto: Preface to the First Edition of the Manifesto in the Afrikaans language,” by Leon Trotsky. Typescript of English translation. Oct. 30, 1937. Includes letter from Trotsky to Shachtman on the translation.(2) “D.I. Mendeleyev and Marxism,” by Leon Trotsky. Typescript of the English translation. (n.d.) Includes letter from Trotsky to Shachtman on the translation.(3) “The Meaning of Hegel,” by George Plekhanov. Translation produced while Rae Spiegel was with Trotsky. Microfilm copy is from first publication of the essay in Fourth International, 1949.(4) Letter by Leon Trotsky to Max Shachtman on Rae Spiegel’s translation of Trotsky’s Civil War speeches on the Red Army. Jan. 5, 1933.(5) Letter by Leon Trotsky to Harold Isaacs on Rae Spiegel’s work on Trotsky’s preface to Isaacs’ Tragedy of the Chinese Revolution. Feb. 5, 1938.(6) “The Man Trotsky,” by Rae Spiegel. Typescript of article. 1938.

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b. Printed

Oct. 1953 to March 1953, biweekly. Selected articles. Raya Dunayevskaya’s column was called “Two Worlds: Notes from a Diary,” but was unsigned, as was her analysis of the Beria Purge in the lead article of the first issue, which resulted in a continuing dispute in the following issues.

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a. Mimeographed

Nov. 1951 to June 1953, biweekly. Selected articles include dispute with Grace Lee on the significance of Stalin’s death.

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(3) Indignant Heart, by Matthew Ward (Charles Denby), 1952.

The first part of an autobiography of a Black auto worker on his life in the South, in the Northern auto plants, and in the radical movement. After publication of Part I, Charles Denby became editor of News & Letters, writing his “Worker’s Journal” column in its pages. (Part II of the autobiography was written in the late 1970s and published in 1978 together with Part I as Indignant Heart: A Black Worker’s Journal. See Vol. IX, Sec. II.)

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(1) Marx, from the first edition of Capital,

Table of Contents page and Appendix to Chapter 1, Sec. 1, “The Form of Value.” Translated from the first Russian Edition of 1872 (based on German edition of 1867). One page Table of Contents; two pages of notes; Appendix of 17 pages.

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E. Letters on the Absolute Idea

Two letters, by Dunayevskaya, of May 12 and May 20, 1953, written to Hauser (Grace Lee). These two letters are considered by Dunayevskaya to form the decisive philosophic point of departure for our age.

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(1) First English Translation of Lenin's Abstract of Hegel’s Science of Logic

by Forest, 1949. Translated from Leninski Sbornik, IX (1929), XII (1933), Moscow. An 82-page typescript plus nine additional pages on “Lenin’s Outline of Hegel’s lectures on the History of Philosophy.” Her comments on them begin within the period of translation. (See Raya Dunayevskaya, C.L.R. James and Grace Lee (Boggs): Philosophic Correspondence. 1949-51, Vol. III, Sec. 1C.) They continue with that discussion led by Dunayevskaya on the form of the book-in-the-making. (See Discussion led by Raya Dunayevskaya on new form of book-in-the- making from two vantage points, Vol. III, Sec. IB.) They lead to her own encounter with Hegelian philosophy. (See Letters on the Absolute Idea, Vol. LII, Sec. IE.) (For first English publication of Lenin’s Philosophic Notebooks, see Bulletin of News and Letters Committees, Lenin’s Abstract of Hegel’s Science of Logic, Vol. IV, Sec. 1, and Appendix to 1958 edition of Marxism and Freedom.)

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Section I 1949-1953 – Workers’ Revolts and Philosophic Breakthroughs

The critical four years, 1949-1953, began with a new stage of production, Automation, and of revolt, the Miners’ General Strike. They ended with Stalin’s death, in April 1953, followed by the East German revolt of June. Within the Johnson-Forest Tendency, Dunayevskaya was active in the 1949-1950 Miners’ General Strike, while at the same time translating Lenin’s “Abstract of Hegel’s Science of Logic,” included in his Philosophic Notebooks. Those Abstracts and her commentary on them became part of a three-way philosophic correspondence between herself, James, and Grace Lee (Boggs), 1949-1951. The strike and the translations made Dunayevskaya pose two new vantage points for the book she was working on with James and Lee: the American proletariat and Lenin’s Philosophic Notebooks. Three years later the death of Stalin suddenly brought forth extremely different analyses on the parts of Grace Lee and Raya Dunayevskaya. This was reflected in the very first issue of the Tendency’s newspaper, Correspondence. For Grace Lee, Stalin’s death ended in depoliticalization. For Dunayevskaya, it was a world-shaking event which—in the weeks between Stalin’s death and the East German Revolt—led to her philosophic breakthrough on Hegel’s Absolute Idea as a movement from practice as well as from theory. That philosophic breakthrough revealed in embryo the split-to-be within the Johnson-Forest Tendency that came in 1955. It as well reflected back to the period 1949-1953 to show the inadequacy of a state-capitalist theory without Marxist-Humanist philosophy.

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28. New Beginnings That Determine the End.

Dunayevskaya presentation to an expanded meeting of the Resident Editorial Board, given Dec. 29, 1985. Typed copy with marginalia by Dunayevskaya on cover page and not by Dunayevskaya on the other pages. Included also is Dunayevskaya remarks at the meeting. For presentation, as published, see 10492.

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19. Dunayevskaya letter to Gabriele Dietrich, written July 12, 1985.

On “the dialectics of the ‘Party’” inseparable from the dialectics of revolution and thought and on Dietrich’s review of Rosa Luxemburg, Women’s Liberation, and Marx’s Philosophy of Revolution. Included also are Dietrich’s review in Marxist Review (Calcutta), September 1985, with marginalia by Dunayevskaya. For Dietrich review in Das Argument-Beiheft, see 17113.

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10. Dunayevskaya letter to Anne Jaclard, written Dec. 3, 1984.

On “subjectivity of the Notion” versus “petty bourgeois subjectivity”; Lenin “never relating dialectics and the Critique of the Gotha Program to organization”; “how historically and philosophically I look at any mistake.” Contains marginalia by Dunayevskaya. Included also are Dunayevskaya presentation, with marginalia by her, and letter to the Resident Editorial Board, both dated Dec. 3, 1984.

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8. What is New in the Concept and Practice of Organization since Chapter 11 of Rosa Luxemburg, Women’s Liberation, and Marx’s Philosophy of Revolution.

Dunayevskaya presentation to the Resident Editorial Board, given Oct. 22, 1984, on attitudes to organization in Marxist-Humanism since 1958. The first public discussion on why “a whole new book” is necessary to “concretize organizational responsibility for the philosophy we have founded.” Included also are Dunayevskaya letter to “Dear Friends,” written Oct. 23, 1984; letter to Anne Jaclard and the New York NEB, written Oct. 10, 1984, on Marxist-Humanism in England and Scotland; letters to N., Dick (Richard Bunting), Dave (Black) and Celia, and Lydia, written Oct. 23, 1984.

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5. “NOTES by RD,” August 1983.

Critique of proposed amendments to the News and Letters Committees Constitution, with revisions dictated by Dunayevskaya. See also 15538; for proposals, see 7819; and for Constitution as amended, see 7993.

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3. Dunayevskaya letter to “Dear Friends,” written July 25, 1983.

On “1) What the Marx Centenary and the National Tour taught us about ourselves, especially re Marx vs. Engels; 1875 vs. 1891. 2) The philosophic ground of the trilogy of revolution and what philosophic ground meant to Lenin, Luxemburg and Gramsci. 3) The specificity of Marxist-Humanism, as well as the ground of the 1983-84 Perspectives, with great emphasis on Organization.”

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Section V. Towards the “Dialectics of Organization and Philosophy,” the unfinished book

The writings in this section are directly related to Dunayevskaya’s work on a new book which, by 1986, she tentatively titled “Dialectics of Organization and Philosophy: ‘the party’ and forms of organization born out of philosophy.” The many documents approaching the subject matter of the book, left unfinished at her death in 1987, can be found in Volume XIII, “Raya Dunayevskaya’s Last Writings, 1986-1987—Toward The Dialectics of Organization and Philosophy.”

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Correspondence between Dunayevskaya and Louis Dupré.

Included are one letter from Dunayevskaya and four from Dupré written between April 20, 1984 and December 1985, two with marginalia by Dunayevskaya. On Dunayevskaya’s review of Dupré’s Marx’s Social Critique of Culture and Dupré’s review of Rosa Luxemburg, Women’s Liberation, and Marx’s Philosophy of Revolution. Dunayevskaya’s letter, written Dec. 13, 1984, is typed copy. Dunayevskaya letter to Dupré, written April 28, 1984, is missing. For Dunayevskaya’s review, see 8267. For Dupré’s review, see 11310.

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Correspondence between Dunayevskaya and George Armstrong Kelly. Included are three letters from Dunayevskaya and seven from Kelly written between Jan. 6, 1983 and December 1984, and notes.

Dunayevskaya discusses Hegel’s “attack on Catholicism as the attack on the elitist monolithic party” and Rosa Luxemburg; Kelly’s analysis of the final paragraph of Hegel’s Philosophy of Mind; critiques of and relations with Anna Louise Strong and Tracy B. Strong. Marginalia on letters from Kelly written Feb. 2 and April 12, 1984 are by Dunayevskaya; December 1984 card contains marginalia not by Dunayevskaya and is signed also by Joanne Kelly. Second copy of Jan. 24, 1984 letter from Dunayevskaya includes corrections dictated by her. Dunayevskaya letters to Kelly written May 3, 1983, November 1983, and May 1, 1984 are missing. For Kelly’s review of Rosa Luxemburg, Women’s Liberation, and Marx’s Philosophy of Revolution, see 10171.

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a. Correspondence between Dunayevskaya and Vivian Gornick.

Included are letters and notes written between Jan. 7 and Dec. 14, 1983. Dunayevskaya’s May 30, 1983 letter is typed copy of handwritten note, and Sept. 13, 1983 note was not delivered. On Gornick’s view of Margaret Fuller and on Rosa Luxemburg, Women’s Liberation, and Marx’s Philosophy of Revolution.

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b. Correspondence between Dunayevskaya and Chris Huxley.

Three letters from Dunayevskaya and five from Huxley, written between Feb. 12 and Nov. 25, 1985, on reviewing The Communist Ideal in Hegel and Marx for Insurgent Sociologist, Dunayevskaya’s current work in “projection of Marxist-Humanism,” and her next work on “The Dialectic of the Party,” with marginalia by Dunayevskaya on two Huxley letters and marginalia not by Dunayevskaya on her own Feb. 23 letter.

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1 Commentary on Nikolai Bukharin and the Transition from Capitalism to Socialism by Michael Haynes

“Reader Raya Dunayevskaya’s Commentary on Nikolai Bukharin and the Transition from Capitalism to Socialism by Michael Haynes.” Critique of manuscript. Included also are Dunayevskaya cover letter to Simon Silverman, written Dec. 18, 1983, on analysts of the degeneration of the Russian Revolution; draft of commentary, with revisions dictated by Dunayevskaya; Silverman letter to Dunayevskaya, written Nov. 15, 1983; Dunayevskaya letter to Silverman, written Nov. 17, 1983.

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7. Marginalia by Dunayevskaya on documents related to the News and Letters Committees discussion on Marx’s Mathematical Manuscripts.

Included are “The Fetish of High Tech, Marx’s Mathematical Manuscripts, and Marxist-Humanism’s Great Divide,” pre-convention discussion bulletin by Ron Brokmeyer, June 1984; Brokmeyer letter to Dunayevskaya, written Oct. 11, 1985; Dmitryev letter to Brokmeyer, written Oct. 16, 1984; Brokmeyer letter to Dunayevskaya, written Dec. 3, 1984; “The Fetish of High Tech and Karl Marx’s Unknown Mathematical Manuscripts,” a News and Letters discussion bulletin, November 1984, with only pages containing marginalia by Dunayevskaya. For complete bulletin, see 8306.

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Correspondence between Dunayevskaya and Ulrich Schreiber and Bernd Röttger, organizers of the Antonio Gramsci-Rosa Luxemburg conference in Hamburg, Germany, Sept. 3-5, 1985.

Between September 1983 and June 7, 1985, there are seven handwritten, typed, and form letters from Schreiber and Röttger in English, German, and Russian, four letters from Dunayevskaya, and one letter on behalf of Dunayevskaya by Olga Domanski. The exchange discusses participation in and preparations for the conference and a related collection of papers, and German translations of Dunayevskaya’s works.

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“Erich Fromm, Socialist Humanist.”

Typed copy of essay by Dunayevskaya for “The Unknown Fromm,” edited by Lutz von Werder. Included also are Dunayevskaya cover letter, written April 17, 1984; von Werder letter to Dunayevskaya, written March 21, 1984, in German; translation of von Werder letter with marginalia by Dunayevskaya; German translation of Dunayevskaya’s essay, published as “Erich Fromm als sozialistischer Humanist” in Der unbekannte Fromm: Biographische Studien, L. von Werder, ed. (Frankfurt: Haag and Herchen, 1987); Dunayevskaya letter to Simon Silverman, written Aug. 9, 1984. For the English translation of Fromm’s unpublished Preface to the German edition of Philosophy and Revolution, see 10051.

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b. Correspondence between Dunayevskaya and Zoran Vidakovic.

Exchange of three letters from Dunayevskaya and three from Vidakovic, written between December 1983 and Sept. 10, 1986, on her own and others’ participation in the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Socialism. Included are “Commentary on Draft Project for the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Socialism” by Dunayevskaya; marginalia by Dunayevskaya on form letter and accompanying “Draft Project”; marginalia on Vidakovic letter to Dunayevskaya, written Sept. 10, 1986. For Dunayevskaya’s contribution, completed May 1, 1987 as “A Post-World War II View of Marx’s Humanism, 1843-83; Marxist Humanism, 1950s-1980s,” see 11588.

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k. Dunayevskaya letter to Neda Azad, written Oct. 7, 1984.

On using Hegel’s methodology of “points of division” to study Ahmad Sultan-Zadeh. Included also are Dunayevskaya letter to Azad, written August 1984; Azad cover letter to Dunayevskaya, written Aug. 23, 1984, and prospectus for a study of “The Writings of Ahmad Sultan-Zadeh,” both with marginalia by Dunayevskaya.

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j. Correspondence between Dunayevskaya and Roy.

Includes letters written between July 15, 1984 and Dec. 30, 1985, four from Dunayevskaya and three from Roy, with marginalia on three letters, and marginalia on one page of Roy letter to Lou Turner. On Dunayevskaya’s critical relationship to Marcuse and the Iranian Revolution; Lenin and national self-determination; Hegel’s Absolutes and Marxist-Humanism; Roy’s article, “The human being and organization.” Dunayevskaya’s Sept. 11, 1985 letter also discusses her next book on “the Dialectic of ‘the Party’.”

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h. Dunayevskaya letter to Neda Azad, written Jan. 19, 1984.

On Azad’s draft statement for “Anjomane Azadi Zan (Women’s Liberation Committee)” and the “decentralized committee-form” of organization. Included also are fragment of Azad cover letter to Dunayevskaya, written Jan. 11, 1984, and draft statement with marginalia by Dunayevskaya, and revised statement.

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f. Correspondence between Dunayevskaya and Raha on first Farsi edition of Marx’s 1844 Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts.

Included are exchanges of letters in 1983 and 1985. Included also is Raha’s preface, written May 1, 1985, and published as “Why The Publication of Marx’s Humanist Essays Now?” in “The San Francisco Bay Area Pre-Plenum Discussion Bulletin, 1985.” For Dunayevskaya’s “Special Introduction” in English, see 6034 and 15175; in Farsi, see 6198. For introduction and preface as published with essays, see 10476. For Dunayevskaya letter to Raha, written Nov. 3, 1979, on philosophy and organization in Marx’s early writings, see 15209.

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d. Dunayevskaya to Raha, written May 10, 1983.

On Raha’s draft introduction to the Iranian edition of Nationalism. Communism, Marxist-Humanism and the Afro-Asian Revolutions, published in “Pre-Convention Bulletin No. One,” July 1983. Included also is draft of introduction in English, with marginalia by Dunayevskaya. For introduction as published in News & Letters, August–September 1983, see 7682. For complete Farsi pamphlet, see 7684.

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5. Dunayevskaya letter to John Alan, written Oct. 11, 1985.

Presents first draft of Introduction and discusses an appendix containing Dunayevskaya’s Political-Philosophical Letter on Grenada and other additions. Included also are “Draft of The New Introduction of FFSABT by RD and Lou,” and four preceding drafts written by Dunayevskaya and Lou Turner, with Dunayevskaya notes in third draft.

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3. Dunayevskaya letter to “Dear Friends,” written Sept. 13, 1985.

Proposes adding an appendix containing two critiques of Negritude, by René Depestre and by Ngugi wa Thiong’o. Included also are “New edition of FFSABT,” Dunayevskaya presentation and remarks to the Resident Editorial Board, given Sept. 13, 1985; Dunayevskaya letter to John Alan, written Sept. 9, 1985; marginalia by Dunayevskaya on Ngugi wa Thiong’o, “The Language of African Literature.”

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5. Dunayevskaya presentation to the Resident Editorial Board, given June 17, 1985

. On “Responsibility for Marxist-Humanism in the Historic Mirror: A Revolutionary-Critical Look (Report by Raya on Theory/Practice’s Retrospective Look at the First 15 years of N&L, Part One of the 30-Years of N&L” and “Why the Big Move to Chicago; What We Did This Year; Perspectives for the Future.”) Included are typed copy of presentation; minutes which include presentation as well as remarks on why a book on “the Party” is necessary; meeting agenda.

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2. Dunayevskaya letter to Kevin Anderson, written May 6, 1985.

On projecting Marxist-Humanism’s development to Maximilien Rubel. Included also are translation of Rubel letter to Anderson, written April 24, 1985, with marginalia by Dunayevskaya; Anderson letter to Dunayevskaya, written March 7, 1985; Rubel letter to Anderson, written Feb. 22, 1985, in French; English summary of Feb. 22 letter.

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1. “On Projecting What Will Be Happening between Now and July 1—The Plenum and the New Book—Based on What Has Happened in the Past Three Weeks in Our Organization and in the Objective Situation, Especially Reagan’s Trip to Germany.”

Dunayevskaya presentation to the Resident Editorial Board, given April 29, 1985. Announces research for a special column on the 30th anniversary of News & Letters. Included also is Dunayevskaya letter, written April 30, 1985. See also 16586. For “Political-Philosophic Notes on Reagan’s Visit to Bitburg,” see 10236.

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9. “The New Stage We Have Reached Since March 21-22…”

Dunayevskaya presentation to the Resident Editorial Board, given May 13, 1985. Included also are Dunayevskaya letter to “Dear Friends,” written May 14, 1985; Dunayevskaya letter to “The Bay Area NEB…,” written May 13, 1985, on “three fundamental theoretic contributions to Marxism of our age”; “Sudan,” notes written April 1985; “Notes on Outline for Sudan Article,” written April 25, 1985.

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4. Dunayevskaya letter to “Dear Friends,” written Feb. 6, 1985.

On covering “the range of a half century of writings and activities” in the lecture and special bulletin, with marginalia by Dunayevskaya. Included also are draft of letter, with revisions dictated by Dunayevskaya, and Dunayevskaya letter to “Local Organizers,” written Feb. 11, 1985, on “unchaining the dialectic” in Marxist-Humanism.

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3. Dunayevskaya letter to “Dear Friends,” written Jan. 30, 1985.

On “a wealth of new-old material” that belongs in the Raya Dunayevskaya Collection. Included also are Peter Wermuth letter to Mike Connolly and Olga Domanski, written Jan. 16, 1985 (misdated as 1984), on the material found in Los Angeles, with marginalia by Dunayevskaya; “In Memoriam” articles for Simon Silverman and Alexander Erlich, News & Letters, January–February 1985. See also 16906.

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8. Dunayevskaya letter to Katherine Davenport, written Sept. 20, 1984.

On inclusion of Davenport’s interview with Dunayevskaya, recorded in September 1983, in Women’s Liberation and the Dialectics of Revolution. Included also are four letters from Davenport and one more from Dunayevskaya exchanged over the next five months; announcement for broadcast of interview on WBAI (New York) on International Women’s Day, March 8, 1984.

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