Michael Merrill | Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (original) (raw)

Selected Papers by Michael Merrill

Oxford Handbook on Ancient Egypt and the Hebrew Bible, 2024

Thomas Mann’s Joseph and His Brothers is a 1,500 page re-telling of the Joseph story from Genesis... more Thomas Mann’s Joseph and His Brothers is a 1,500 page re-telling of the Joseph story from Genesis. The first two volumes are set in ancient Israel, the last two in ancient Egypt. Mann worked on his epic for 20 years while the Nazis rose to power in Germany and he and his family were forced into exile, first in Switzerland, later in the US. His Joseph tetralogy recounts the story of Jacob and his favorite son, bringing to life a host of biblical characters and imagined figures from the reign of Amenhotep III in ancient Egypt. This chapter summarizes the four parts of Mann’s saga and reviews the contemporary scholarship upon which he drew. The chapter also places the novel within the political and social context of its time.

Radical History Review, 1979

A response to an article in the Radical History Review (1978) criticizing my treatment in "Cash I... more A response to an article in the Radical History Review (1978) criticizing my treatment in "Cash Is Good to Eat" of Marx's dialectical methodology and his concepts of value and class. It is an early statement of the co-equal importance of "relations of exchange" and "relations of production" in the constitution of "modes of production," which ought really be seen as short for "modes of production and exchange."

Revaluing Workers: Toward a Democratic and Sustainable Future, 2021

The massively disruptive changes accompanying today’s “smart machines” are not unprecedented in e... more The massively disruptive changes accompanying today’s “smart machines” are not unprecedented in either scale or scope, and managing the effects of such changes requires that we pay as much attention to sociological as to technological possibilities. There is no
fixing work without fixing the social structure and power arrangements in which it occurs. This chapter examines human work and social development over the long term to put past and present concerns about technology and technological unemployment into better perspective. It surveys the most significant upheavals in the history of the economy of the Atlantic world during the past 500 years, including colonization, commercialization, mechanization, and computerization, and it outlines their effects. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how humanity might best ensure a sustainable prosperous future, given that it now presses against the limits of the Earth’s carrying capacity.

An estimate of the amount owed the average 55 and older US production worker as result of the fai... more An estimate of the amount owed the average 55 and older US production worker as result of the failure of their wages to keep pace with their productivity gains. The short piece concludes with a call for a guaranteed employment program, with the federal government functioning as the employer of last resort, as it currently functions as the lender of last resort.

A conversation with Alan Mandell and Bob Carey of Empire State College about the future of labor ... more A conversation with Alan Mandell and Bob Carey of Empire State College about the future of labor studies and the innovative courses and curriculum put in place at the college's Harry Van Arsdale Jr. Center for Labor Studies during the last decade or so.

Workers' education, understood to mean the education of workers by workers for purposes they them... more Workers' education, understood to mean the education of workers by workers for purposes they themselves determine, has always been highly contested terrain, just like work itself. If there is to be an adequate global history of workers' education, it will need to be guided by a suitable general theory. Hegel most expansively and Durkheim most persuasively argued that societies are cognitive and moral projects, of which education is constitutive: knowing and social being are inextricably bound up with one another. In the global democratic revolutions of the last 250 years, the labor movement distinguished itself as simultaneously a social movement, an education in democracy, and a struggle for a democratic education. The history of workers' education is a history of workers striving to remake their communities into democracies and themselves into democrats. This brief essay introduces a collection of essays representative of a new generation of scholarship on the history of workers' education, which we hope will help both traditional and emerging labor movements understand their past and think more clearly about their future.

An edited transcript of a March 20, 2015, "Dialogues at Noon" conversation with Mary Helen Kolisn... more An edited transcript of a March 20, 2015, "Dialogues at Noon" conversation with Mary Helen Kolisnyk and other Empire State College colleagues about Jacques Ranciere, "The Ignorant Schoolmaster."

Reflections on writing and teaching history to trade unionists and other working-class students i... more Reflections on writing and teaching history to trade unionists and other working-class students in the United States. The English original of a paper recently published in Portuguese in the Brazilian journal _Historiá & Perspectivas_, No. 53, Jan./Jun. 2015, pp. 17-34.

Labor: Studies in the Working-Class History of the Americas 13:1 (forthcoming, 2016).

A review of the collection of Thompson's "essays and polemics from the 1960s, recently edited and... more A review of the collection of Thompson's "essays and polemics from the 1960s, recently edited and introduced by Cal Winslow and published by Monthly Review Press (2013).

A review of Waters and van Goethem, eds., America's Global Labor Ambassadors, from the Internatio... more A review of Waters and van Goethem, eds., America's Global Labor Ambassadors, from the International Review of Social History (Spring 2015), pp. 124-26.

All About Mentoring #46 (Winter 2015), 58-62

The continuing relevance of Thompson's concept of "exterminism" as a condition of chronic capital... more The continuing relevance of Thompson's concept of "exterminism" as a condition of chronic capitalist crisis and the importance of his historical "moral economy" as an alternative.

The origins and changing historical meaning of the term "capitalism" in western Europe over the c... more The origins and changing historical meaning of the term "capitalism" in western Europe over the course of the nineteenth century.

Legacies: Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 2014

A short overview of the current state of the US labor movement.

Revista História & Perspectivas: História Social: E. P. Thompson (1924-1993), 2014

Edward Palmer (E. P.) Thompson was one of the great historians of the working class, and one of t... more Edward Palmer (E. P.) Thompson was one of the great historians of the working class, and one of the great working-class figures, of the 20 th century. Not only did he change the way history was written but, as an anti-nuclear and civil liberties campaigner, he also played a significant role in its making. His most important historiographical contribution, of course, was

All About Mentoring, Mar 2014

Labor: Studies in the Working-Class History of the Americas, 2014

AFSCME Local 768 Health Employees Union, Jul 2013

All About Mentoring, 2013

Oxford Handbook on Ancient Egypt and the Hebrew Bible, 2024

Radical History Review, 1979

Revaluing Workers: Toward a Democratic and Sustainable Future, 2021

Labor: Studies in the Working-Class History of the Americas 13:1 (forthcoming, 2016).

All About Mentoring #46 (Winter 2015), 58-62

Legacies: Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 2014

A short overview of the current state of the US labor movement.

Revista História & Perspectivas: História Social: E. P. Thompson (1924-1993), 2014

All About Mentoring, Mar 2014

Labor: Studies in the Working-Class History of the Americas, 2014

AFSCME Local 768 Health Employees Union, Jul 2013

All About Mentoring, 2013

Tempos históricos, Oct 23, 2020

De acordo com Percy Bidwell e John Falconer, autores do clássico e ainda não superado History of ... more De acordo com Percy Bidwell e John Falconer, autores do clássico e ainda não superado History of Agriculture in the Northern United States, os agricultores familiares antes da Revolução Americana "produziam para si próprios comida, vestuário, mobília doméstica, instrumentos agrícolas, em suma, praticamente tudo de que precisavam." Eles eram "auto-suficientes". Com isto, Bidwell e Falconer não queriam dizer que esses agricultores da era colonial viviam em completo isolamento de qualquer relação comercial, mas sim que eles geralmente produziam "para o consumo doméstico antes do que para vender." Analisando as evidências disponíveis, os dois historiadores concluíram que as trocas comerciais tinham um papel insignificante nas comunidades rurais: havia compra e venda, mas somente em "pequenas quantidades." (BIDWELL; FALCONER, 1926: p. 115, p. 126 e pp. 129-130) Evidentemente, "pequeno" é um termo relativo. As Legiões Romanas não parecem ser tão grandes se comparadas a um exército moderno, mas não devem ser menosprezadas somente por esse motivo. A mesma coisa vale para o comércio dos primórdios dos Estados Unidos. O termo "auto-suficiente" não dá conta de descrever satisfatoriamente o estado de coisas em questão. Se os lavradores norte-americanos fossem auto-suficientes, onde foi que o número TRADUÇÃO Recebido em: 04 de fevereiro de 2020 Aceito em: 04 de julho de 2020

New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, Apr 16, 2018

When Dewey's reflections on the philosophy of experience required for a philosophy of education a... more When Dewey's reflections on the philosophy of experience required for a philosophy of education are considered from the standpoint of vocational education, often-neglected corners and relatively obscure aspects of his thought are illuminated.

Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, 1988

Pennsylvania Legacies, 2014

New Solutions: A Journal Of Environmental And Occupational Health Policy, Nov 1, 1991

The History Teacher, May 1, 1994

... has so far focused too heavily on the economic aspects of transition as if these were separat... more ... has so far focused too heavily on the economic aspects of transition as if these were separate from other questions, Merrill sketches the ... capitalism presented: the opportunities that successful dealings within a variety of different markets could offer to acquire the cash or credit ...

International Labor and Working-class History, 2010

Both Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri inCommonwealth(2008) and Peter Linebaugh inThe Magna Carta M... more Both Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri inCommonwealth(2008) and Peter Linebaugh inThe Magna Carta Manifesto(2009) want to put the commons and communism—understood as a form of society in which private property has been replaced by property in common—“back on the agenda.” They even insist that just such a social and economic order “grounded in the common” is “already in process” and that communism is thus more relevant and possible than ever. To a certain extent, they are right. We need a functioning commons if human society is to remain viable. But we also need a functioning commercial economy capable of feeding the billions that human society has and most likely will continue to produce.

Radical History Review, 1994

Radical History Review, Apr 1, 1996

Labor: Studies in Working-Class History of the Americas, Mar 1, 2014

According to Eric Hobsbawm, Karl Marx scoffed at his achievements. When a young Karl Kautsky ques... more According to Eric Hobsbawm, Karl Marx scoffed at his achievements. When a young Karl Kautsky questioned him about "his works," he bitterly replied, "What works?" At his death there was little to show for a life of writing: "some brilliant pamphlets and the torso of an uncompleted major piece, Das Kapital, work on which had hardly advanced in the last decade of his life." However, as Hobsbawn exclaims, "What an extraordinary posthumous success!" Within twenty-five years of his death the European working-class political parties founded in [Marx's] name, or which acknowledged his inspiration, had between 15% and 47% of the vote in countries with democratic elections-Britain was the only exception.. .. All of them are still in existence. Meanwhile disciples of Marx established revolutionary groups in non-democratic and third-world countries. Seventy years after Marx's death, one-third of the human race lived under regimes ruled by communist parties which claimed to represent his ideas and realize his aspirations. Well over 20% still do, though their ruling parties have, with minor exceptions, dramatically changed their policies. In short, if one thinker left a major indelible mark on the twentieth century, it was he. 1 The same might be said of the twenty-first century: the financial crisis of 2008 and the continuing economic, political, and fiscal challenges appear to have confirmed Marx's central thrust-that capitalism is essentially unfair and dangerously unstable. In the wake of the crisis, Richard Posner, the libertarian legal theorist and chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, has warned of "a failure of capitalism," and from Hobsbawm we learn that even George Soros, the liberal currency

New Solutions: A Journal Of Environmental And Occupational Health Policy, May 1, 1993

IRST, I WANT TO THANK Lin Kaatz Chary for her stimulating intervention. While I disagree with muc... more IRST, I WANT TO THANK Lin Kaatz Chary for her stimulating intervention. While I disagree with much of what she has to say, I admire the forthrightness with which she has stated her position. According to Chary, the environmental movement has "neither the obligation, the objective, nor most significantly of all, the ability" to convince labor that environmental changes are going to create jobs. On the contrary, protecting jobs is the labor movement's responsibility. Environmentalists can not bargain for workers. If income protection is

Radical History Review, 1979

A response to an article in the Radical History Review (1978) criticizing my treatment in &qu... more A response to an article in the Radical History Review (1978) criticizing my treatment in "Cash Is Good to Eat" of Marx's dialectical methodology and his concepts of value and class. It is an early statement of the co-equal importance of "relations of exchange" and "relations of production" in the constitution of "modes of production," which ought really be seen as short for "modes of production and exchange."

Labor: Studies in Working-Class History of the Americas, Mar 1, 2010

The recent publication of two books on American workers and the U.S. labor movement-Steven Greenh... more The recent publication of two books on American workers and the U.S. labor movement-Steven Greenhouse's The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker (2008) and Bill Fletcher Jr. and Fernando Gapasin's Solidarity Divided: The Crisis in Organized Labor and a New Path to Social Justice (2008)-provide an excellent opportunity to consider what, if anything, we can make of the fact that the movement is not what it once was. 1 The U.S. labor movement is not what it once was. From a post-World War II peak, when one in three wage earners belonged to a union, now one in eight do. If we look at only the private sector, where the great bulk of union members worked, the ratio falls even further to one in thirteen; And, if anything, the influence of the movement has deteriorated faster than its membership. An organized force of 11 to 12 million people, especially one centrally concerned with achieving economic and social justice for the majority of the population, ought to be something with which to reckon. Despite its numbers and its mission, labor's voice is muted in the corridors of power. For the past half century, its agenda has been disparaged as divisive; it has won only when its interests coincided with that of a more respected (or respectable) group. Labor does deliver the vote. Barack Obama won 67 percent of all union household votes, compared to 53 percent in the electorate as a whole, and other Democratic candidates have long enjoyed a similar advantage. But it has been awhile since the movement could deliver the goods. The effort to reform the Taft-Hartley Act has been stymied for sixty years, and "fair trade" is a slogan but not yet a clearly defined program. In fact, Congress passed the last significant piece of labor-initiated legislation, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, in 1969, and it became law only 1. Bill

New Solutions: A Journal Of Environmental And Occupational Health Policy, Aug 1, 1995

In what case do you like reading so much? What about the type of the sharing power book? The need... more In what case do you like reading so much? What about the type of the sharing power book? The needs to read? Well, everybody has their own reason why should read some books. Mostly, it will relate to their necessity to get knowledge from the book and want to read just to get entertainment. Novels, story book, and other entertaining books become so popular this day. Besides, the scientific books will also be the best reason to choose, especially for the students, teachers, doctors, businessman, and other professions who are fond of reading.

New Solutions: A Journal Of Environmental And Occupational Health Policy, Feb 1, 1992

And how this book will influence you to do better future? It will relate to how the readers will ... more And how this book will influence you to do better future? It will relate to how the readers will get the lessons that are coming. As known, commonly many people will believe that reading can be an entrance to enter the new perception. The perception will influence how you step you life. Even that is difficult enough; people with high sprit may not feel bored or give up realizing that concept. It's what missing the boat will give the thoughts for you.

Les notes a peu de plana de la Carta oberta a Leszek Kolakowski de Thompson contenen referencies ... more Les notes a peu de plana de la Carta oberta a Leszek Kolakowski de Thompson contenen referencies a la ma;oria deis primers articles polítics que, ho diu més avall, espera reeditar en un futur proxim. William Morris: from Romandc to Revolutionary ha estat reeditat recentment per Merlín Press a Anglaterro. Whigs and Hunters i, naturalment, The Making of the English Working Class es troben als llibres de butxaca de Vintage Books (de l'últim n'hi ha versió castellana publicada per Laia, BarcelonQ).

International Labor and Working-class History, 2010

Frank Tannenbaum is best known for his studies of Mexican agrarian reform and for his contributio... more Frank Tannenbaum is best known for his studies of Mexican agrarian reform and for his contributions to the comparative history of slavery and slave societies. But as a young man he had made a name for himself as a notorious labor agitator, and he went on to publish two books on the US labor movement, which are worthy of reconsideration as important interpretations of independent trade unionism and political reform. The first volume appeared in 1921 and offered an original perspective on the popular syndicalism that formed such a large, positive element of the philosophy of the International Workers of the World (IWW), to the extent it had one, at the center of which lay the struggle for social recognition on the part of immigrant and (supposedly) unskilled workers. The second appeared thirty years later and provided a thoughtful defense of the private, employment-based welfare and industrial relations system that the New Deal established in the United States. Together the books offer a provocative account of the social and individual radicalism of US-style "pure and simple" trade unionism. Frank Tannenbaum (1893-1969) was a celebrated and successful Latin American historian who is now most widely remembered for his influential interpretations of the Mexican Revolution and his pioneering short essay, Slave and Citizen (1947). But during the course of his writing career he also published two important books on US trade unionism. Neither is well known today; both deserve to be. The Wobbly historian and activist Fred Thompson described the first of these books [The Labor Movement: Its Conservative Functions and Social Effects (1921)] as "a positive presentation of the IWW philosophy," and it stands as an important alternative to other interpretations of the labor movement from the era, including Robert Hoxie's Trade Unionism in the United States (1919) and Selig Perlman's A Theory of the Labor Movement (1928). The second appeared thirty years later as A Philosophy of Labor (1951). 1 Less original than the first volume-if only because by 1951 Tannenbaum's industrial syndicalism had become almost a commonplace-it nonetheless offered a distinctive perspective on the New Deal industrial relations system at its height. Taken together, the two books constitute an original contribution to radical and revolutionary labor thinking, in both its anarcho-syndicalist and its social democratic forms. Indeed, Tannenbaum's interpretation of trade unionism and its impact-namely, that in modern

Radical History Review, 1976

... This interview with EP Thompson took place in March, 1976, in New York City. ... Thompson&amp... more ... This interview with EP Thompson took place in March, 1976, in New York City. ... Thompson's po-lemical exchanges with Perry Anderson and Leszek Kolakowski, which are mentioned in the text, can be found in the Socialist Register, Ralph Miliband and John Saville, editors, for ...

Review of Radical Political Economics, 1979

used to increase demand for the land in the new trolley car suburbs. Once the speculators’ land w... more used to increase demand for the land in the new trolley car suburbs. Once the speculators’ land was sold off, the trolley car owner would declare bankruptcy; the stranded commuters would petition the municipality to take over the unprofitable trolley and subsidize the low fare. These trolley car lines were thus never by themselves viable and, when autos became common, they either collapsed or were maintained (as in the case of Boston) with public subsidies. This line of reasoning reinforces my argument that trolleys were not viable competitors with the auto. The &dquo;ecological wasteland&dquo; created by motorization for which Snell seeks to blame a single corporation is the creation of an entire system based on production for private profit. Even if GM were the culprit, Snell’s solution breaking up GM into a number of smaller companies would fail to reverse this process. The oligopolistic structure thus created would behave as a shared monopoly, and little would change. But General Motors is not the culprit. Rather than pointing the finger of blame at GM, one should criticize the stupidity of letting any essential public service be produced for profit (or perhaps the stupidity of letting anything be produced for profit).