E.H. Carr as "Marxist"

[godenas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Louis R. Godena)]

One of the leading prodigals of the Marxism list, departed but since
returned, has referred to the English historian E.H. Carr (1892-1982) as a
"Marxist."

Carr, it should be said, thought of himself more as a "19th century liberal
with a heart of a radical."  He more than once declined the
"Marxist" label, although he was strongly influenced by Marx, and, to a much
lesser extent, the continental Marxists like Issac Deutscher and Maurice
Dobb.  He had a somewhat favorable view of Trotsky, but would have no truck
with the anti-Sovietism of the British trotskyites.  In his 1950 BBC
address, he explicitly endorsed Bakunin's view of freedom as "the
opportunity for creative activity."

Carr, upon his death in November, 1982, had the full weight of the British
establishment's bile poured upon him, especially in the London Times (where
he served as Assistant Editor during the War) and the TLS (to which he was a
frequent contributor up until his death).  Though explicitly demurring when
encountering the Marxist label, he clearly was a man of the left, and,
perhaps (Arno Mayer's words) the premier British historian of his age.

                                       Louis Godena




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