What is to be done with ‘What is to be done?’ after ‘The End of History’

A Sketch of Theoretical History to Reestablishing a Marxistic Contemporary Analysis

Abstract

The article presents a discussion of Lenin’s and Chernyshevsky’s old revolutionary question – ‘what is to be done?’ – today in a historical situation characterized by a multiplicity of crises. The neoliberal epoch seems to be near- ing its end, but it is very difficult to envision anything new in the horizon. Protests are taking place all over the globe but with no clear political or social programs. In the absence of a previous revolutionary language, it is difficult to make sense of the old revolutionary question as well as answers. The article begins with a discussion of the notion of an ‘end of history’ and proceeds with a presentation of different attempt to formulate a Marxist reading of the present conjuncture: Andreas Malm, Nancy Fraser, Salvage and T.J. Clark.