Conversations with History: Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley

See the Conversations with History Blog See a webcast of this interview: Anderson See also: Perry Anderson's 2001 Sanford S. Elberg Lecture, "Internationalism: Metamorphoses of a Meaning"

This interview is part of the Institute's "Conversations with History" series, and uses Internet technology to share with the public Berkeley's distinction as a global forum for ideas.

Welcome to a Conversation with History. I'm Harry Kreisler of the Institute of International Studies. Our guest today is Perry Anderson, who is Professor of History and Sociology at UCLA. He is the author of numerous publications, including Passages from Antiquity to Feudalism, Lineages of the Absolutist State, Considerations on Western Marxism, In the Tracks of Historical Materialism, English Questions, and A Zone of Engagement. He is the editor of the New Left Review, and is the 2001 Sanford S. Elberg Lecturer at Berkeley.

1. Background ... early years in U.S ... acquiring a global perspective ... learning about father through research ... reading ... perceived as outsider ... education
2. History and Theory ... formative events of late fifties ... invasion of Hungary ... invasion of Suez ... politicization of student body ... rise of the New Left ... theory from practice ... editing the New Left Review ... English Marxist historians ... situating theory in a tradition
3. The Status of the Left ... three strands ... underestimated strength of capitalism ... universality of neoliberalism ... unresolved crises ... the fate of internationalism ... anti-globalization ... intellectual resources of the left ... women's liberation ... ecological movement ... globalization and American culture ... "plebianization" of the culture
4. Advice to Students ... study history ... travel and live abroad ... take the long term view

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