I’ve read the Communist Manifesto and found myself agreeing with the ideas presented. However, I’m left wondering: what’s the real point of studying Marxism-Leninism more deeply? It feels like the principles are clear, and it’s unlikely that a deeper understanding of them will lead to significant change.
It seems to me that content creators, like those from podcasts like Deprogram, have a more direct influence on people’s perspectives today. So, I’m curious, why should we invest time in studying these ideologies when there are more immediate ways to engage with and affect the world? What benefits can understanding Marxism-Leninism actually provide in today’s context?
Why reading college science books and science papers if you can just watch Veritasium and QuantumFracture?
For the average person though, pop science is enough. Reading real science literature won’t benefit my life in any material way.
Does socialist theory help me as an average prole? Maybe not? I’ll keep reading anyways because I like it but I’m not certain how valuable it is beyond that.
When spreading the word /discussing things it’s better to be able to articulate ideas oneself instead of telling people to listen to a podcast.
Sure, you can take them as a sort of audio books, I guess, but when I try to articulate knowledge that I know cuz I first absorbed it from podcasts I suck at it
Why do you think the black panthers had a reading list? Reading theory doesn’t make you a better proletarian under capitalism, it does make you better prepared to spread the word of socialism and anti imperialism
Theory helps you as a revolutionary, just like reading mechanical textbooks helps mechanical engineers. Not everyone needs that level of understanding unless they are actively applying it, but for those that are, they absolutely need to study.
Pop science is also full of bullshit though. If you don’t have at least some solid grounding in the scientific method and science basics, you won’t be able to tell if the pop science you read is bullshit or real.
Similarly, and even worse because of the sheer quantity of intentional misdirection in the political realm, if you don’t have some baseline grounding in theory, a working understanding of historical materialism perhaps, then you will not have the mental tools to evaluate the pop politics and decide if they are right or full of shit. It isn’t something that’s common sense or easily reasoned from first principles
As communists, we should aspire to go beyond just trusting prominent figures, whether they’re influencers, politicians, publications, whatever, and improve our faculties and awareness and understanding of the world
Idk, half the time I read a pop science article and look for the underlying studies they say the opposite.