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M.N.Roy
- 1. M N Roy d M N Roy Dr.B.Jishamol Assistant Professor Department of History Ethiraj College for Women (Autonomous) Chennai
- 2. M N Roy Indian revolutionary, radical activist and political theorist,
- 3. Objectives • Manabendra Nath Roy • Roy's Marxism • Humanist Critique of Marxism • New Humanism
- 4. Introduction • India Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels • The Bolshevik Revolution of October 19 17 • on-going liberation • Indian Communist Party -1924 • M N Roy, EMS Namboodiripad
- 5. Manabendra Nath Roy (1 887-1954) • Narendra Nath Bhattacharya • Militant nationalist
- 6. career • Militant Nationalist of Bengal. • As a Marxist • As a radical humanist, • Marxism and Radicalism are the characteristics of his philosophy.
- 7. Roy's Marxism • Roy began as a Marxist in Mexico in 191 7 • 1.Communist party to organise peasants and workers • 2.Roy gave a communist interpretation to Indian history.
- 8. Marxism with communism; • 3. Roy does not identify Marxism with communism; • Product must be collectively owned. • 4. Roy - India-agrarian revolution • Real democratic state. • Socialism matter of necessity. • (1) Achievement of free Indian democracy and • (2) Transformation of the social order - political freedom over economic freedom and socialism
- 9. Humanist Critique of Marxism • Class struggle -subordinated individual consciousness. • Prominence to the working class. • Recognise the middle class as a class. • Dictatorship of the proletariat - totalitarianism. • Revolution - education.
- 10. New Humanism • Roy - war. U.N. • Peace Reason and persuasion • Roy's philosophy of New Humanism, - network of small cooperative commonwealth". • Evolution through voluntary efforts. cooperative • Education for democracy • Exercise their rational judgement.
- 11. Roy's Radical Humanism • Exponent of "New Humanism". • Humanist philosophy and termed it radical. • Scientific materialism of Hobbes, Ethics of Spinoza and Secular politics by Locke, • "It is for this reason that Roy claims it as humanist as well as materialist, naturalist as well as nationalist, creativist as well as determinist".
- 12. Roy's idea revolves around Man • . "It is the man who creates society, state and other institutions - for his greater welfare and convenience. - "Man as the measure of everything". • Knowledge-supreme value. • Cultivated fruits of collective
- 13. Birth of State • 'The political organisation of society' historical, but also natural. • Decentralisation where maximum possible autonomy • Roy was a supporter democracy • Radical democracy as well. • The dangers, of dictatorship of any class or elite.
- 14. Economic reorganisation • No exploitation of man by man. • Maximise individual freedom. • Society is established on the basis of cooperation and decentralisation.
- 15. Education • Radical democracy. • Revolution - class struggle or armed violence, but through education.
- 16. concept of moral man • Concept of moral man. • Politics cannot be divorced from ethics. • No moral men, no moral society. • Own welfare and for the working of society. • "Party politics • Never of the people and by the people. • Exploited in the elections • Abolition of the party system • Corrupting agency, morality would be possible.
- 17. Works • 'The Philosophical consequences of modern science'. • 'Reason, Romanticism and Revolution' • Path of parliamentary democracy, • Neighbourhood, - totalitarianism.
- 18. Social order • Enlightening public opinion as well as intelligent section of the people. • Resist tyranny and oppression,
- 19. scientific knowledge • World stands in need of change. • Education becomes the essence revolution ' re- construction, • Politics of power, but through the politics of freedom".
- 20. THANK YOU
Editor's Notes
- Introduction 1. Communist thought in India has its origins in the writings of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and their followers. 2. The Bolshevik Revolution of October 19 17 had a tremendous impact on the entire world 3. communist parties came to be established in various parts of the world, first in Europe and later in especially in Asia Africa and the Latin American countries 4. strengthening the on-going liberation 5. Indian Communist Party was established in 1924 ill close association with communist movements guided by Communist International or Cormintern 6. Two great communist leaders M N Roy, EMS Namboodiripad
- Manabendra Nath Roy (1 887-1954) original name was Narendra Nath Bhattacharya - worked with I.enin, Trotsky and Stalin - was a Russian revolutionary, political theorist and politician. Ideologically a communist, he developed a variant of Marxism known as Trotskyism. Lenin as a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist Began as a political life as a militant nationalist Believed in cult of the bomb and the pistol
- Career Roy 3 phases in his career In first up to 1919, he was a national revolutionary, smmugling arms for the terrorists of Bengal. In the second Roy was a Marxist engaged in active communist movement first in Mexico and then in Russia, China. and India. In the last, Roy emerged as a radical humanist, from Nationalist to Communism and from Communism to Radical Humanism. He was in his student life, a revolutionary as well as an intellectual. For new ideas and a quest for freedom. Marxism and Radicalism are the characteristics of his philosophy. Here he explains that “by radical humanism I refer to a global philosophy which emphasizes the oneness of the human race, the capacity of man to develop his own powers and to arrive at inner harmony and at the estab- lishment of a peaceful world.
- Roy's Marxism Roy began as a Marxist in Mexico in 191 7 Colonial Revolution Second Congress -Communist International 1920 1.communist party to organise peasants and workers - lead revolution. 2. Roy gave a communist interpretation to Indian history. gradual decay of the rural economy, steady rise of capitalism, the conquest bourgeois to capture new markets, to find new fields of exploitation and export of capital. Colonial exploitation prevented the normal economic development working class was too backward to fight for socialism.
- Marxism with communism;( Marxism is a social, political, and economic theory originated from Karl Marx, focusing on the struggles between capitalists and the working class. Communism is based upon the ideas of common ownership and the absence of social classes, money and the state.) 3. Roy does not identify Marxism with communism; Marxism is a philosophy while communism is a political practice. 1. Roy believed in socialisation of the process of production. 2. When labour is performed collectively, its product must be collectively owned. Private property must cease to be an economic necessity before it can be abolished. 4. Roy for saw two things in establishing socialism in India-an agrarian revolution and building up of modern industry could be possible only under the control of a really democratic state. Roy did not consider socialism an immediate issue for India. Socialism was not a matter of desire for him, It was a matter of necessity. (1) achievement of free Indian democracy and (2) Transformation of the social order into a socialist democracy. Roy gave precedence to political freedom over economic freedom and socialism
- Humanist Critique of Marxism According to Roy, Marx's theory of class struggle has subordinated individual consciousness. He was also critical of Marx giving too much prominence to the working class. To him, polarisation of capitalist society into the exploiting and the working class never takes place. The middle class does not disappear. It is the middle class which produces revolutionaries. Lenin recognised this fact, but failed to recognise the middle class as a class. Thus , Roy denounced the theory of class struggle. Roy considered , the proletariat as the 'most backward stratum of the society'. He gave a place of pride to the middle class and the individual. He also denounces the theory of dictatorship of the proletariat as this would establish totalitarianism. he thought that revolution was to be brought about not through class struggle or violence, but through proper education. He criticised the Marxian dialectics, The evolution of democracy to socialism was a continuous process, and not a dialectical process.
- humanist foundation - New Humanism Roy made very serious observations about India's polity. Roy feels that no country's interests are ever served or promoted by war. He welcomed the U.N. as a positive step towards world peace. Roy's conception of peace was based on a humanist foundation. This can be attained through mutual trust, and co-operation. Reason and persuasion are the foundations on which lasting peace can be built. Roy's philosophy of New Humanism, his approach to the radical democratic state in terms of a co-operative common-wealth has to be analysed. "Even in large political units and highly complex social organisation of the modern world, direct democracy will be possible in the form of a network of small cooperative common wealth". He envisaged its evolution through voluntary efforts. Its function would be subject to enlighten the public opinion and intelligent public actions. The idea is also based on the cooperative aspect of human nature. For this, Roy emphasised on the education. Education for democracy consists in making the people conscious of their rights to exist as human beings with decency and dignity. It helps them to think and to exercise their rational judgement. This would also make democratic institutions vibrant, where universal suffrage is given
- Roy's Radical Humanism In the later years of his life, Roy became an exponent of "New Humanism". He distinguished this from other humanist philosophy and termed it radical. Though Roy is influenced in his approach by the scientific materialism of Hobbes, Ethics of Spinoza and Secular politics as propounded by Locke, he reconciled all these to propound a rational idea of freedom with the concept of necessity. The central purpose of Roy's Radical humanism is to co-ordinate the philosophy of nature with social philosophy and ethics in a monistic system. "It is for this reason that Roy claims it as humanist as well as materialist, naturalist as well as nationalist, creativist as well as determinist".
- Roy's idea revolves around Man . "It is the man who creates society, state and other institutions and values for his own welfare. Man has the power to change them for his greater welfare and convenience. His belief lies in "Man as the measure of everything". As a radical humanist, his philosophical approach is individualistic. The isdividual slould not be subordinatcd either to a nation or to a class. The individual should not lose his identity in the collective ego of such notions. , one, reason and the other, the urge for freedom. The reason in man echoes the harmony of the universe. Man tries to find out the laws of nature in order to realise his freedom. This urge for freedom leads him to a search for knowledge. he considers freedom to be of supreme value. The ownership is common because land is cultivated by the labour of the entire community. The fruits of collective labour belong to all collectively.
- Birth of a state This gives birth to the state. Roy defines state as 'The political organisation of society'. The rise of the state is neither the result of social contract, nor was it ever super-imposed on society. The evolution of the state is not only historical, but also natural. For him, the state must exist and along with other equally important and autonomous social institutions. He pleaded for decentralisation where maximum possible autonomy should be granted to the local units, Roy was a supporter of not only a democracy where every citizen will be informed and consulted about affairs of the state, but also of radical democracy as well. Such a democracy will neither suffer from the inadequacies -the dangers , of dictatorship of any class or elite.
- Economic reorganisation Roy also contemplated an economic reorganisation of the society in which there would be no exploitation of man by man. It would be a planned society which would maximise individual freedom. This is possible when society is established on the basis of cooperation and decentralisation. v) Education would be important in Radical democracy. As a radical humanist, Roy came to believe that a revolution should be brought about not through class struggle or armed violence, but through education.
- Education Education would be important in Radical democracy. As a radical humanist, Roy came to believe that a revolution should be brought about not through class struggle or armed violence, but through education.
- concept of moral man vi) Roy emphasised the concept of moral man. To him politics cannot be divorced from ethics. Roy traces morality to rationality in man. Reason is the only sanction for morality, Without moral men, there can be no moral society. Moral values are those principles which a man should observe for his own welfare and for the proper working of society. vii) He advocates humanist politics. This will lead to purification and rationalisation of politics. Today, man is debased to the level of an unthinking beast power politics. To him, politics can be practiced without power. "Party politics has given rise to power politics". To him any party government can, at best, be for the people, but it is never of the people and by the people. In a country like India, he laments about the evils of party politics that exist, where ignorant conservative people are exploited in the elections. Thus, he favoured the abolition of the party system which will enable politics to operate without an incentive of power. In the absence of that corrupting agency, morality in political practice would be possible.
- He was an Ethical Revisionist in the history of socialist thought. he began his academic pursuits as a Marxist, but gradually almost completely restated as the prepositions of Marx. He gave a moral restatement of Marxism. Roy's application of the Marxist concepts arid generalisations to the structure and processes of the Indian economy and society seem thought provoking and enlightening.
- viii) Roy's social order rises with the support of enlightening public opinion as well as intelligent section of the people. Roy stands for 'Revolution by Consent'. He concedes the right of the people to resist tyranny and oppression, but he rules out the use of violent methods. Today, the modern slate is too powerfull to be overthrown. Lastly, according to Roy, "One cannot be a revolutionary without possessing a scientific knowledge. The world stands in need of change. Science has given confidence to a growing number of human Gigs, that they possess the power to remake the world, Thus, education becomes the essence and condition of revolution ' and re-construction, Revolution by consent does not operate through the politics of power, but through the politics of freedom". To conclude, Roy's learning is indeed impressive. He has written a six thousand page book, 'The Philosophical consequences of modern science'. His book, 'Reason, Romanticism and Revolution' is a significant contribution to political thought by an Indian writer. While India has embarked upto the path of parliamentary democracy, in its neighbourhood, many countries were swamped by some form of totalitarianism. He was an Ethical Revisionist in the history of socialist thought. he began his academic pursuits as a Marxist, but gradually almost completely restated as the prepositions of Marx. He gave a moral restatement of Marxism. Roy's application of the Marxist concepts arid generalisations to the structure and processes of the Indian economy and society seem thought provoking and enlightening.
- Scientific knowledge world stands in need of change. education becomes the essence revolution ' re-construction, politics of power, but through the politics of freedom".