AUTHOR'S NOTE

INCE THE publication

of the first edition of Consciencism in

1964, the African Revolution has decisively entered a new

phase, the phase of armed struggle. In part of our
continent, African revolutionaries are either preparing for
struggle, or are actively engaged in military against
the forces of reaction and counter-revolution.
The issues are now clearer .
succession of military coups which have in rt:cent years taken
place in Africa, have exposed the close links between the interests
of neo-colonialism and the indigenous bourgeoisie. coups
have brought into sharp relief the nature and the extent of the
class struggle in Nrica. Foreign monopoly capitalists are in close
association with local reactionaries, and have made nse of officers
among the armed forces in order to frustrate the purposes of the
African Revolution.
It is in consideration of the new situation in Africa that some
changes have become necessary in this edition. They occur
principally in Chapter Three.
August 15, 1969

Conakry
reproduction
Marx nor I have ever asserted.
twists this into that the economic
element is the only determining one, transforms that prointo
a meaningless, abstract, senseless phrase.... Marx and
I are ourselves partly to blame the fact that the yotmger people
sometimes lay more stress on economic side than is due to it. We
had to emphasize the main principle vis-a-vis our adversaries, who
denied it, and we had not always the time, the place or the opportunity
to allow the other elements involved in the interaction to
come into their rights. But when it was a case of presenting a
section of history, that is, of a practical application, it was a
different matter and there no error was possible. Unfortunately,
however, it happens only too often that people think they have
fully understood a new theory and can apply it without more ado
from the moment they have mastered its main principles, and even
those not always correctly. And I cannot exempt many ofthe more
recent 'Marxists' fron1 this reproach, for the most amazing rubbish
has been produced in this quarter, too.-Letter from Engels to
J. Bloch, London, 21-22 September 1890
INTRODUCTION

HE LINES of

the partition of Africa

education ofthe colonized Africans. Students from Englishspeaking

territories went to Britain as a matter of course,
just as those from French-speaking went to France as a
matter of course. In this way, the yearning for formal education,
African students conld only satisfy at great cost of effort,