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Socialists of Caltech

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Political Education

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Mission

As socialists we recognize that our society’s education system, mass media, and cultural norms are products of the existing capitalist order and serve to reproduce it in turn. Together they constitute a “common sense” that naturalizes competition, individualism, and social oppression; erases or distorts beyond recognition the history of our movement; and negates the very possibility of collective action. For us, political education is a continual process of overcoming this ideological indoctrination through both study and active struggle. Our political education work seeks to raise the political consciousness and theoretical understanding of SoC members and the Caltech community at large, in order to guide our organizing and practical action. At the same time, our organizing lends us new understanding to old texts and rich theoretical insights, given to us by generations of working class struggle from all over the world.

Discussion Group

The centerpiece of our political education activities is our wide-ranging series of discussion groups on particular topics, articles, and longer primary sources and theoretical texts. We’ve also organized a number of larger workshops oriented to the broader Caltech community, such as What is Socialism? in spring 2018, and look to host more in coordination with other working groups in the near future.

“For apart from inquiry, apart from the praxis, individuals cannot be truly human. Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.“

– Paulo Freire

“The truth is very simple, but sometimes implementation of the truth–that’s where difficulty arises. The word is Constant. Political. Education. …Capitalism’s weakest point is the lies it tells. Our strongest point is the truth we tell.“

– Kwame Ture

“No one is going to give you the education you need to overthrow them. Nobody is going to teach you your true history, teach you your true heroes, if they know that that knowledge will help set you free.”

– Assata Shakur

Current Projects and Discussions

  • Incoming: India Farmer Movement discussion group (stay tuned!)
  • Blood in My Eye discussion group as part of the Abolition Study Group (Fall 2021)

To get involved, please use the contact form at the bottom of the page.

Past Projects and Discussions

  • The Wretched of the Earth
  • Capitalism and Disability
  • Discussion Group
  • A Heated and Friendly Discussion

Contact Us to Get Involved!