Anton Pannekoek

Anton Pannekoek was a Astronome, a Astrophysicien and a militant Communiste Dutch (January 2nd 1873 with Vaassen - April 28th 1960 with Wageningen).

Militant of the left wing of the International IIe, its positions brings it closer to Rosa Luxemburg.

Opponent solved with the First World War, it joined as of 1919 the IIIe Internationale, of which it is excluded in 1921 because of its positions of “Communist of left”, and of his opposition to the authoritarianism of Lénine.

Conseilliste, it rejects the Stalinisme as of its appearance, including/understanding from the start that this current does not have any more a relationship with the Marxisme. He regards the mode of the the USSR not as being a form of Socialisme, even deformed, but a Capitalisme of State. He estimates, like Karl Marx and Rosa Luxemburg, that the Communisme can result only from one revolutionary process, outcome with a considerable increase in democracy and the collectivization of the means of production. In 1938 it published " Lénine like philosophe" under the name of John To grip. During the Second world war it wrote its major work " The the working Councils " published in 1946 in two parts under the pseudonym of P. Aartsz. In 1944 whereas it writes this work, most of its files burns at the time of the battle of Arnhem. Pannekoek will remain faithful to its convictions and will correspond for example with Cornelius Castoriadis. Its autobiography " Souvenirs" is appeared 22 years later in the Netherlands.

It founded within the Université of Amsterdam an institute of astronomy, which bears its name today. It received in 1951 the Gold medal of Royal Astronomical Society.

Quotations

“ the workers should not only act, it is also necessary that they imagine, reflects and decides of all by themselves ”
“ the Capitalisme, actually, is not this signing world of individuals of the contracts in all equality, as one wants to make us believe it; it is a world of classes in fight ”
“ the goal and the mission of the working class, it is to abolish the capitalist system ”
“ a system of capitalism of State shaped in Russia definitively, not while deviating compared to the principles establish by Lénine - in the State and the Revolution for example - but while conforming to it. ” (Lénine philosophizes)
“ to conquer the capacity, we have to only make of a " party révolutionnaire" taking the direction of the proletarian revolution. as regards its ideological and spiritual influence in the world, the Russian revolution became the exact opposite of the proletarian revolution ” (Letter with Chaulieu/Cornelius Castoriadis criticizing the positions developed by this one in Socialisme or Cruelty).
“ the organization as councils represents the highest form of democracy. ” (the working Councils).

Some texts

historical Materialism (1919)
the Trade unionism (1936)
the working Councils: under this title, Pannekoek published an article in 1936, as well as a work in 2 volumes in 1946, translated with the editions Spartacus (this last is not available on Internet but the Turbulentes editions published of it an extract, the organization of the councils)
the Public property and the common property (1947)
In connection with Anton Pannekoek

Internal bonds

External bonds

Biography of Anton Pannekoek by Paul Mattick
Some texts of Pannekoek
Correspondence Chaulieu-Pannekoek

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