Maurice Brinton
Encyclopedia
Maurice Brinton was the pen name under which Christopher Agamemnon Pallis (2 December 1923, Bombay - 10 March 2005, London
) wrote and translated for the British libertarian socialist group Solidarity
from 1960 until the early 1980s.
According to David Goodway
's introduction to a recent collection of his work:
He then dropped out of politics for a decade while he pursued his medical career, but in 1957 joined the Trotskyist group led by Gerry Healy
, the Club, which in 1959 became the Socialist Labour League. He was expelled by Healy in 1960 and with a group of other ex-members of the SLL immediately set up Solidarity. Like a number of other former members of the SLL he was also involved with the journal International Socialism in the early 1960s.
For the next 20 years, he combined a distinguished medical career under his real name with pseudonymous revolutionary socialist writing and translation. His work includes several eyewitness accounts of key moments in European left politics (the Belgian general strike of 1960, Paris in May 1968, Portugal Carnation Revolution
in 1974-75), a substantial body of English translations of the work of Cornelius Castoriadis
, the main thinker of the French group Socialisme ou Barbarie
, and two short books — one (The Bolsheviks and Workers' Control, 1970) on the aftermath of the Bolshevik revolution, and one (The Irrational in Politics, 1974) on sexual politics.
The publishers of a recent online edition of The Bolsheviks and Workers' Control describe it as follows:
Chris Pallis died in March 2005; an obituary can be read on Paul Anderson's blog.http://libsoc.blogspot.com/2005/03/socialist-for-all-seasons-paul.html
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) wrote and translated for the British libertarian socialist group Solidarity
Solidarity (UK)
Solidarity was a small libertarian socialist organisation from 1960 to 1992 in the United Kingdom. It published a magazine of the same name. Solidarity was close to council communism in its prescriptions and was known for its emphasis on workers' self-organisation and for its radical...
from 1960 until the early 1980s.
According to David Goodway
David Goodway
David Goodway is a British historian and a respected international authority on anarchism and libertarian socialism. A student of Eric Hobsbawm, Goodway specialised in the history of Chartism in London and his work London Chartism is an acknowledged classic work on the subject...
's introduction to a recent collection of his work:
He then dropped out of politics for a decade while he pursued his medical career, but in 1957 joined the Trotskyist group led by Gerry Healy
Gerry Healy
Thomas Gerard Healy, known as Gerry Healy , was a political activist, a co-founder of the International Committee of the Fourth International, and, according to former prominent U.S. supporter David North, the leader of the Trotskyist movement in Great Britain between 1950 – 1985...
, the Club, which in 1959 became the Socialist Labour League. He was expelled by Healy in 1960 and with a group of other ex-members of the SLL immediately set up Solidarity. Like a number of other former members of the SLL he was also involved with the journal International Socialism in the early 1960s.
For the next 20 years, he combined a distinguished medical career under his real name with pseudonymous revolutionary socialist writing and translation. His work includes several eyewitness accounts of key moments in European left politics (the Belgian general strike of 1960, Paris in May 1968, Portugal Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
in 1974-75), a substantial body of English translations of the work of Cornelius Castoriadis
Cornelius Castoriadis
Cornelius Castoriadis was a Greek philosopher, social critic, economist, psychoanalyst, author of The Imaginary Institution of Society, and co-founder of the Socialisme ou Barbarie group.-Early life in Athens:...
, the main thinker of the French group Socialisme ou Barbarie
Socialisme ou Barbarie
Socialisme ou Barbarie was a French-based radical libertarian socialist group of the post-World War II period . It existed from 1948 until 1965...
, and two short books — one (The Bolsheviks and Workers' Control, 1970) on the aftermath of the Bolshevik revolution, and one (The Irrational in Politics, 1974) on sexual politics.
The publishers of a recent online edition of The Bolsheviks and Workers' Control describe it as follows:
Chris Pallis died in March 2005; an obituary can be read on Paul Anderson's blog.http://libsoc.blogspot.com/2005/03/socialist-for-all-seasons-paul.html
Further reading
- Brinton, Maurice (Goodway, David ed). For Workers' Power: the selected writings of Maurice Brinton. AK PressAK PressAK Press is a worker-managed independent publisher and book distributor that specialises in radical left and anarchist literature. It is collectively owned and operated.-History:...
. 2004. ISBN 1-904859-07-0
External links
- Maurice Brinton Archive
- Libertarian Communist Library Maurice Brinton Archive
- Pamphlets by the Solidarity-Group (and Maurice Brinton):
- Obituary: Christopher Pallis (Maurice Brinton) An irreverent critic of the Bolshevik revolution (by David GoodwayDavid GoodwayDavid Goodway is a British historian and a respected international authority on anarchism and libertarian socialism. A student of Eric Hobsbawm, Goodway specialised in the history of Chartism in London and his work London Chartism is an acknowledged classic work on the subject...
and Paul Lewis) - Two Appreciations of Chris Pallis aka Maurice Brinton