Very sorry to hear about the recent passing on January 14th 2016 of inspirational Marxist intellectual Ellen Meiksins Wood. Her work
constitutes a major and valuable contribution to the anti-Stalinist
Marxist tradition. I only met her once and on that occasion she joked
about being an 'orthodox Marxist'. It was an orthodoxy that was
centrally committed to the rigorous critique of capitalism and the
highly limited form of democracy that emerged in conjunction with
capitalism, to working class self-emancipation, and to the collective
creation of a democratic socialist world beyond capitalism. She was also
by all accounts a lovely human. She will be missed but will not be
forgotten. Her work will remain relevant throughout the course of this
volatile century.
• For a sympathetic obituary see the following. It notes, among other things, that "Throughout her life, Ellen remained deeply engaged in careful historical
work emphasizing the very specific historical emergence of capitalism
in England, and promoted the idea that democracy always has to be fought
for and secured from below; that it is never benevolently conferred
from above.
http://www.broadbentinstitute.ca/remembering_ellen_meiksins_wood
• See also:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Meiksins_Wood
• Verso Books published much of her work. See:
http://www.versobooks.com/authors/263-ellen-meiksins-wood
• Links to other obituaries that comment on the importance of her work are listed below:
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/01/ellen-wood-obituary-chibber-retreat-from-class-origins-of-capitalism-marxist/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-01-25-in-lieu-of-an-obituary-ellen-meiksins-wood-1942-2016/
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2016/foster180116.html
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2016/huws150116.html
• A comprehensive bibliography of her work is at:
https://politicalmarxism.wordpress.com/library/ellen-meiksins-wood/
