Debate on workers’ power: can political action alone emancipate the working class?
This historical transcript records a two–sided discussion held under the Proletarian University of America. It pits Dennis E. Batt of the Socialist Party against Karl Dannenberg of the Workers’ International Industrial Union, exploring whether political action alone can free workers without the Socialist Industrial Union. The text presents the speakers’ definitions, arguments, and exchanges, offering insight into early 20th‑century labor thought and strategy.
What you’ll encounter in this edition
- A clear outline of terms like political action, economic power, and industrial organization as used in the debate
- Direct speech and rebuttals that illuminate competing visions for worker emancipation
- Context on the relationship between political power, economic power, and the labor movement of the era
Ideal for readers interested in labor history, socialist theory, and the arguments that shaped early unions and political action.Ideal for readers of history and political economy who want to understand how different strategies for worker empowerment were debated in the period.
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