George Novack (August 5, 1905,Boston, Massachusetts – July 30, 1992,New York City) was an AmericanMarxist theoretician, editor, and activist.
Novack attendedHarvard University for five years, though without earning a degree, and was on a successful track in the publishing business when the beginning of theGreat Depression radicalized him. He joined theTrotskyist movement (Communist League of America) in 1933, along with his first wifeElinor Rice, and was an elected member of the National Committee of theSocialist Workers Party (SWP) from 1940 to 1973.
In 1937-40, Novack served as the secretary of the American Committee for the Defence ofLeon Trotsky. This body initiated the celebrated 1937Dewey Commission that inquired into the charges made against Trotsky in theMoscow show trials, and found them to have been a complete frame-up. He played a major role in the defense campaign for the 18 SWP leaders imprisoned inWorld War II under theSmith Act.
Novack remained a member of the SWP until his death, although he withdrew from regular political activity after the death of his second wife,Evelyn Reed, in 1979, living quietly in a New York senior citizens' home.
Novack produced a number of books on various aspects of Marxism. His work largely focused on presenting Marxist concepts in an accessible fashion, with major works onDialectics,Historical materialism, andalienation. He also wrote a number of volumes explaining the intersections and differences between Marxism and otherschools of Philosophy, includingAnalytic philosophy,Empiricism,Humanism,Existentialism, andPragmatism.
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