George Novack
Encyclopedia
George Novack was an American
Communist politician and Marxist theoretician.
He attended Harvard University
, earning a B.A.
in 1926, and an M.A. in 1927. He was on a successful track in the publishing business, when the beginning of the Great Depression
radicalized him. He joined the Trotskyist Communist League of America
in 1933 and was a member of the National Committee of the Socialist Workers Party
(SWP) from 1940 to 1973.
In 1937-40 Novack served as the secretary of the American Committee for the Defence of Leon Trotsky
. This body initiated the celebrated 1937 Dewey Commission
, that inquired into the charges made against Trotsky in the Moscow show trials and whose verdict was pronounced a complete frame-up.
George Novack was not one of the 18 SWP leaders imprisoned in World War II
under the Smith Act
, but he played a major role in the defense campaign.
Novack produced a number of books on various aspects of Marxism
: An Introduction to the Logic of Marxism, America's Revolutionary Heritage, Democracy and Revolution, Empiricism and Its Evolution, Humanism and Socialism, The Origins of Materialism, Polemics in Marxist Philosophy, Revolutionary Dynamics of Women's Liberation, and Understanding History, Marxist Essays.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Communist politician and Marxist theoretician.
He attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, earning a B.A.
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 1926, and an M.A. in 1927. He was on a successful track in the publishing business, when the beginning of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
radicalized him. He joined the Trotskyist Communist League of America
Communist League of America
The Communist League of America was founded by James P. Cannon, Max Shachtman and Martin Abern late in 1928 after their expulsion from the Communist Party USA for Trotskyism. The CLA was the United States section of Leon Trotsky's International Left Opposition and initially positioned itself as...
in 1933 and was a member of the National Committee of the Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (United States)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
(SWP) from 1940 to 1973.
In 1937-40 Novack served as the secretary of the American Committee for the Defence of Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
. This body initiated the celebrated 1937 Dewey Commission
Dewey Commission
The Dewey Commission was initiated in March 1937 by the "American Committee for the Defense of Leon Trotsky." It was named after its Chairman, John Dewey...
, that inquired into the charges made against Trotsky in the Moscow show trials and whose verdict was pronounced a complete frame-up.
George Novack was not one of the 18 SWP leaders imprisoned in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
under the Smith Act
Smith Act
The Alien Registration Act or Smith Act of 1940 is a United States federal statute that set criminal penalties for advocating the overthrow of the U.S...
, but he played a major role in the defense campaign.
Novack produced a number of books on various aspects of 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...
: An Introduction to the Logic of Marxism, America's Revolutionary Heritage, Democracy and Revolution, Empiricism and Its Evolution, Humanism and Socialism, The Origins of Materialism, Polemics in Marxist Philosophy, Revolutionary Dynamics of Women's Liberation, and Understanding History, Marxist Essays.
External links
- George Novack Internet Archive. On line archive at Marxists Internet ArchiveMarxists Internet ArchiveMarxists Internet Archive is a volunteer based non-profit organization that maintains a multi-lingual Internet archive of Marxist writers and other similar authors...
. - Bio-bibliographical sketch of George Novack at the Lubitz TrotskyanaNet.
- Pathfinder Books, the bookstore of the Socialist Workers Party. Publisher of Novack's books.
- Novack, George. Radical Intellectuals in the 1930s. International Socialist Review Vol. 29, No. 2, March-April 1968, pp. 21-34. Text of speech to Socialist Scholars Conference, N. Y., Sept. 1967. Transcription/Editing: 2005 by Daniel Gaido. HTML Markup: 2005 by David Walters. Retrieved May 13, 2005.