A lecture by Henrike Kohpeiß on her new book Bourgeois Coldness (Divided 2025). Bourgeois coldness refers to an effective strategy that offers an explanation for how self-preservation works. Bourgeois coldness is one of the most advanced affective and aesthetic forms of preserving the structure of the colonial status quo. It creates an affective shelter in the world, unencroached upon by the immediate consequences of its many catastrophes. It functions like air conditioning – a complex technology which reliably stabilises the climate until those inside consider it natural. Bourgeois spaces – institutional and affective – stay cool and pleasant. But outside it’s burning.
Henrike Kohpeiß is a philosopher in Berlin, working on social and political philosophy, critical theory, affect studies, Black studies and feminist philosophy. She regularly publishes work in academic journals and criticism in magazines. She organises and hosts events in Berlin, such as the conversation series ‘Feelings at the end of the world’ at Volksbühne. Bourgeois Coldness is her first book, and was published in German in 2023 by Campus Verlag.
Amsterdam – IISH
January-June 2026 (dates to be announced)
This reading group focuses on the reception of the dialectics—specifically Hegelian and Marxist dialectics—within anticolonial milieus across Africa and the Americas between the 1930s and 1970s. Readings include texts by A. Césaire, O. Cox, A. Davis, W.E.B. Dubois, F. Fanon, C.L.R. James, C. Jones, O. Huiswoud, N. Nkrumah, G. Padmore, and W. Rodney.
The Reading Group is organized with the support of the OZSW (Nederlandse Onderzoeksschool Wijsbegeerte/Dutch Research School of Philosophy) in collaboration with marxism-nl.org. Students can enroll for 2.5 credits.
Amsterdam – UvA, location tbc
starting December 2025
Organised by Jeff Diamanti, Mikki Stelder, and Asen Dimitrov
Every commodity imagines a supply chain and every struggle for justice and equality implicates the logistical spaces that quietly reproduce our historical conjuncture. How do we realign our critical vocabularies, attachments, and projects to the supply chains that shape the ongoing reproduction of uneven accumulation and dispossession? And what methods can we share to sharpen the emergence of logistical solidarities to come? This seminar consists of ongoing reading groups, skill shares, workshops, guest lectures, and field trips. rMA students seeking national research school credit can enroll for either 1ECT or 6ECTs.
December 11 from 15–17h (location tbd): Reading and introductions with guest workshop on the logistical connection between Isreal and Amsterdam. First meeting of the Supply Chain Criticism seminar involves a round of introductions to the seminar and a discussion of the special issue of Environment and Planning D on logistics (36.4 August 2018) with focus on the introduction. We will also form research clusters and plan future field research as a group.
January (date tba): Mikki Stelder + reading group
February 2nd, 15–17h: Lecture by Alberto Toscano on Imperialism at Sea: Logistics, Counter-logistics, Polycrisis (location tba).
March (date tba): Field trip to the Port of Rotterdam
April (date tba): GIS skillshare with SOMA and FieldARTS
May 8th, 15–17h: Lecture by Kathryn Yusoff on Inhumane Reparations
Marxist Quantitative Social Research Discussion Group
Groningen, location tbc
starting March 2026
Marxist inspirations are present in theoretical works and qualitative research, but they are relatively absent from contemporary quantitative social research. Presenting our quantitative research on social class and inequality, we have noticed that there are few (possibly none) spaces focused on this type of research: quantitative social science is nowadays far removed from Marxism and Marxist-influenced events rarely feature any type of statistical and similar research. We would like to organise low-threshold meetings for researchers working with quantitative data and Marxist themes. We hope that we can exchange experiences and learn from each other by presenting our research to all interested and discussing specific methodological challenges.
The location and timing of the meetings will be chosen based on the availability of the interested participants. We aim to meet every three months.
About
You’re a student in the Netherlands and you can’t find a course on Marxist theory, political economy or history of the labor movement in your program? Or are you a researcher who would like to break through the isolation and connect with others who work with Marxist approaches? Or an activist that would like to know what Marxists have to offer for your politics these days?
Amid global turmoil, the rise of far-right and fascist politics around the world, university budget cuts and political attacks on our institutions during the protests in solidarity with Palestine, we came together as a group of Marxist students, researchers, and teachers active in the Netherlands, to unite and defend our trenches.
We created a platform (marxism-nl.org) and a network (Marxist Research Group), to connect existing initiatives, share resources, and collaborate on new activities.
This website presents the network and the initiatives of the Marxist Research Group.
marxism-nl.org promotes both academic and non-academic events such as public lectures, societal and political debates, reading groups, book launches by members or affiliated groups. It is open to whoever is interested and aims at fostering strategic and practical collaborations within and outside academia.
