Murray Levin
Encyclopedia
Dr. Murray Burton Levin, Ph.D.
(1927–1999) was a political science
professor at Boston University
from 1955 through his retirement in 1989. A progressive who once had been a member of the Communist Party USA, Levin was an unreconstructed radical
throughout his academic career. In addition to teaching a popular core course on political science, Levin specialized in teaching Marxist political theory
to both undergraduate and graduate students. Long before the collapse of the Soviet Union
, Levin eventually came to the conclusion that Marxist theory was not a science, let alone a viable system of economics
, but was a powerful propaganda
tool to mobilize the masses against capital. Class consciousness
would be obtained ultimately when the masses finally revolted against the oligarchy.
, the family's undergraduate alma mater, after completing his military service with the United States Navy
, serving as a military attaché' to a vice admiral
during WWII. (Levin remained an excellent tennis player until late in life, and his primary duty was playing tennis with the admiral.
At Harvard, he was vastly influenced by the ideas of professor Louis Hartz
. Hartz believed that the lack of feudalism in America had created a situation in which only one creed, liberalism
(in the classic sense), could be tolerated. Since there was no tolerance for collectivist-oriented systems like socialism
, if the U.S. economic system were ever again to suffer a castatrophic failure such as that of the Great Depression
, the U.S. might be imperiled by the lack of a viable, legitimate alternative such as socialism. Hartz's theories, as articulated in his 1955 book The Liberal Tradition in America, served the basis for Levin's own ideas. Levin took his master's and Ph.D. degrees at Columbia University
.
, whose office was located next to his. Both Levin and Zinn became part of the "B.U. Five" when they refused to cross union picket lines during a 1979 strike by clerical and custodial workers at the university and were targeted for retaliation by B.U. President John Silber
. Silber had earlier rejected a labor contract already negotiated by the American Association of University Professors
and the University, which forced the professors out on strike in the fall semester of 1979. The clerks and custodians soon followed. When the university settled with the AAUP, the vast majority of professors went back to work teaching, but Levin and Zinn and three others refusd to cross the other unions' picket lines.
Levin and Zinn were two of the harshest critics of Silber's top-down "industrial" paradigm of university administration, in which Silber equated an institution of higher learning to a car factory. For their opposition, Silber had "merit" pay increases continually denied them.
was playing in American politics. Talk radio shows were articulating the rage of what President Richard M. Nixon called "The Silent Majority" and others eventually described as "Joe Six-Pack" and "Reagan Democrat
s": the alienated working class that once made up the New Deal-Fair Deal-New Frontier-Great Society coalition. Levin realized that by the late 1970s and early 1980s, this once reliable base of support for the Democratic Party
were ripe pickings for reactionaries who could articulate their rage. Talk radio was a precursor to the phenomenon that is Fox News and right-wing Internet blogs that continue to massage, mold and direct the rage in the 21st-Century.
was a topic of several of Levin's books through the decades. As a progressive, Levin could be scathing about Kennedy, but he did concede in 1980 that he was the most effective person in the
pre-1980 Presidential election
Senate. (The Democrats lost their majority in the Senate
for the first time since the 1950s.) However, he felt that this situation was an indictment of American democracy rather than an endorsement of Kennedy.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
(1927–1999) was a political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
professor at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
from 1955 through his retirement in 1989. A progressive who once had been a member of the Communist Party USA, Levin was an unreconstructed radical
Radicalization
Radicalization is the process in which an individual changes from passiveness or activism to become more revolutionary, militant or extremist. Radicalization is often associated with youth, adversity, alienation, social exclusion, poverty, or the perception of injustice to self or others.-...
throughout his academic career. In addition to teaching a popular core course on political science, Levin specialized in teaching Marxist political theory
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...
to both undergraduate and graduate students. Long before the collapse of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Levin eventually came to the conclusion that Marxist theory was not a science, let alone a viable system of economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, but was a powerful propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
tool to mobilize the masses against capital. Class consciousness
Class consciousness
Class consciousness is consciousness of one's social class or economic rank in society. From the perspective of Marxist theory, it refers to the self-awareness, or lack thereof, of a particular class; its capacity to act in its own rational interests; or its awareness of the historical tasks...
would be obtained ultimately when the masses finally revolted against the oligarchy.
Early influences
The progeny of wealthy business family, Murray Levin took his bachelor's degree at Harvard CollegeHarvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, the family's undergraduate alma mater, after completing his military service with the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, serving as a military attaché' to a vice admiral
Vice admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of...
during WWII. (Levin remained an excellent tennis player until late in life, and his primary duty was playing tennis with the admiral.
At Harvard, he was vastly influenced by the ideas of professor Louis Hartz
Louis Hartz
Louis Hartz was an American political scientist and influential liberal proponent of the idea of American exceptionalism....
. Hartz believed that the lack of feudalism in America had created a situation in which only one creed, liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
(in the classic sense), could be tolerated. Since there was no tolerance for collectivist-oriented systems like socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
, if the U.S. economic system were ever again to suffer a castatrophic failure such as that 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...
, the U.S. might be imperiled by the lack of a viable, legitimate alternative such as socialism. Hartz's theories, as articulated in his 1955 book The Liberal Tradition in America, served the basis for Levin's own ideas. Levin took his master's and Ph.D. degrees at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
The "B.U. Five"
At Boston University, Levin was a close associate of Howard ZinnHoward Zinn
Howard Zinn was an American historian, academic, author, playwright, and social activist. Before and during his tenure as a political science professor at Boston University from 1964-88 he wrote more than 20 books, which included his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United...
, whose office was located next to his. Both Levin and Zinn became part of the "B.U. Five" when they refused to cross union picket lines during a 1979 strike by clerical and custodial workers at the university and were targeted for retaliation by B.U. President John Silber
John Silber
John Robert Silber is an American academician and former candidate for public office. From 1971 to 1996 he was President of Boston University and from 1996 to 2003 Chancellor of the University. Since 2003 he has been its President Emeritus. In 1990, Silber took a leave of absence from the...
. Silber had earlier rejected a labor contract already negotiated by the American Association of University Professors
American Association of University Professors
The American Association of University Professors is an organization of professors and other academics in the United States. AAUP membership is about 47,000, with over 500 local campus chapters and 39 state organizations...
and the University, which forced the professors out on strike in the fall semester of 1979. The clerks and custodians soon followed. When the university settled with the AAUP, the vast majority of professors went back to work teaching, but Levin and Zinn and three others refusd to cross the other unions' picket lines.
Levin and Zinn were two of the harshest critics of Silber's top-down "industrial" paradigm of university administration, in which Silber equated an institution of higher learning to a car factory. For their opposition, Silber had "merit" pay increases continually denied them.
Talk Radio & the American Dream
With a keen eye for the alienated voter, Levin was one of the first political scientists to notice the role talk radioTalk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
was playing in American politics. Talk radio shows were articulating the rage of what President Richard M. Nixon called "The Silent Majority" and others eventually described as "Joe Six-Pack" and "Reagan Democrat
Reagan Democrat
Reagan Democrat is an American political term used by analysts to denote traditionally Democratic voters, especially white working-class Northerners, who defected from their party to support Republican President Ronald Reagan in both the 1980 and 1984 elections. It is also used to refer to the...
s": the alienated working class that once made up the New Deal-Fair Deal-New Frontier-Great Society coalition. Levin realized that by the late 1970s and early 1980s, this once reliable base of support for the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
were ripe pickings for reactionaries who could articulate their rage. Talk radio was a precursor to the phenomenon that is Fox News and right-wing Internet blogs that continue to massage, mold and direct the rage in the 21st-Century.
Edward M. Kennedy
Senator Edward KennedyTed Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
was a topic of several of Levin's books through the decades. As a progressive, Levin could be scathing about Kennedy, but he did concede in 1980 that he was the most effective person in the
pre-1980 Presidential election
United States presidential election, 1980
The United States presidential election of 1980 featured a contest between incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter and his Republican opponent, Ronald Reagan, as well as Republican Congressman John B. Anderson, who ran as an independent...
Senate. (The Democrats lost their majority in the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
for the first time since the 1950s.) However, he felt that this situation was an indictment of American democracy rather than an endorsement of Kennedy.
Murray B. Levin Legacy Fund
In the Spring of 2006, Boston University announced the formation of the Murray B. Levin Legacy Fund to honor the late professor. Most of the fund, a $250,000 endowment, came from the Lawrence and Lillian Solomon Fund, Inc. Lawrence Solomon, a real estate attorney, was very much influenced by Levin while a B.U. undergrad. B.U. Board of Trustees Chairman Alan Leventhal is matching 50% of the endowment with a grant, and other B.U. professors and alumni are making financial contributions to the fund, which will provide scholarships to students majoring in political science or related disciplines.http://www.bu.edu/alumni/advancement/2006/spring/levin/index.html This is a development welcomed by many alumni of B.U., which has the lowest alumni giving rate of any major American university, and was only possible with the waning of John Silber's power at B.U.Books
- The Compleat Politician (with George Blackwood) (1962)
- The Alienated Voter: Politics in Boston (1965)
- Kennedy Campaigning: the System and the Style as Practiced By Senator Edward Kennedy (1966)
- Political Hysteria in America: the Democratic Capacity for Repression (1971)
- Edward Kennedy: The Myth of Leadership (1980)
- Talk Radio and the American DreamTalk Radio and the American DreamTalk Radio and the American Dream was a 1986 book by Boston University political science professor Murray Levin. Levin was one of the first political scientists to notice the significant role that talk radio shows were playing in American politics...
(1986) - Teach Me!: Kids Will Learn When Oppression Is the Lesson (1998)
External links
- http://www.monthlyreview.org/200zinn.htm"Remembering Murray Levin", by Howard Zinn, Monthly ReviewMonthly ReviewMonthly Review is an independent Marxist journal published 11 times per year in New York City.-History:The publication was founded by Harvard University economics instructor Paul Sweezy, who became the first editor...
, February 2000]