The March 4, 2010 announcement of the formation of the International Marxist-Humanist Organization (IMHO) [http://thehobgoblin.co.uk/journal/2010_IMHO_principles.htm] invites anyone who agrees with its stated principles to join with this new organization. The members of Marxist-Humanist Initiative (MHI) have discussed this invitation and have come to a unanimous decision. We agree with the statement of principles and thus we are pleased to announce that we accept the invitation. We hereby join with the IMHO.
We agree especially with the following IMHO principle: “In the twenty-first century it has become newly urgent to continue Marxist-Humanism as a living body of ideas, instead of reducing it to a set of organizational rules divorced from philosophy….” Overcoming the separation of philosophy and organization is of utmost importance to MHI (see, for instance, our October 8, 2009 statement, “The Self-Thinking Idea Does Not Mean You Thinking: A contribution to our ongoing effort to work out, in theory and practice, how to renew Marxist-Humanism organizationally).
We join with other individuals and groups in IMHO for the purposes it was founded––“to issue political-philosophic statements and perspectives, [and to] engag[e] in common activities”––while maintaining the organizational integrity of Marxist-Humanist Initiative. In fact, we initially proposed such an “umbrella organization” before our organization and US Marxist-Humanists (USMH) were founded. However, those who formed the USMH rejected the idea, and they have had no communication with us about IMHO at all. Nevertheless, we are pleased that our idea is now being acted upon. We expect to attend IMHO’s founding conference and to be full participants from now on.
As we noted in MHI’s founding Principles of April 2009, we hope ultimately to be part of a united international Marxist-Humanist organization that shares our goal––that of rebuilding an organization capable of renewing Marxist-Humanism by concretizing and developing it as a collectivity––but, in the meantime, we wish to work on an ad hoc basis with Marxist-Humanists and others outside our organization on issues of common interest.
The future of Marxist-Humanism is by no means assured. Forging the broadest unity possible among people and groups that have expressed agreement with some basic Marxist-Humanist principles is therefore urgently important. Thus, we join with IMHO on issues of common interest, while at the same time we will of course continue to:
(1) advocate the rebuilding of a Marxist-Humanist organization that can renew the philosophy by concretizing and developing it as a collectivity;
(2) strive for recognition of the integrality of the Marxist-Humanist philosophy of revolution and a Marxist-Humanist organization (which are not distinct matters, since organization is an objective expression and concretization of philosophy);
(3) oppose and expose “straw-man” argumentation and falsifications, and call for honest debate––the only kind of debate that can advance ideas, clarify differences, and hopefully resolve them.
People in the U.S. and abroad who support these goals and activities of Marxist-Humanist Initiative are encouraged to apply to become members and supporters of MHI.
Marxist-Humanist Initiative
June 1, 2010
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