Capital & Class 1–15 © The Author(s) 2016 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0309816815624370 c&c.sagepub.com Left-wing convergence: An introduction Alex Prichard University of Exeter, UK Owen Worth University of Limerick, Ireland Abstract In this article, we argue that despite there being little evidence of an ideological convergence between Marxism and anarchism, such a convergence is not only sorely needed, but also eminently possible. We propose an open discussion on the appropriate terms of such a convergence, the context in which it should take place, and the reasons why it should. We close by showing how our contributors to this special issue open this debate for us in promising ways. Keywords Anarchism, ideological convergence, Marxism, strategy, war of position Introduction The idea of convergence around a broad alliance of the left is something that has bedev- illed socialist organisations since the 19 th century. It has often been easier to show what divides us than that which unites us. The Marxist left is a rich tapestry of difference, but the cleavage between these various Marxisms and equally diverse anarchisms is often said to be insurmountable in theory and/or practice. Assuming that the split between Marxism and anarchism does not exhaust left-wing politics, although it has frequently been seen as an intractable division within it, what might signs of convergence here tell us about a wider convergence across the full spectrum of the left? In an era of the decline of state socialism and the rise of the civil ‘multitude’, contrasting understandings of how Corresponding author: Alex Prichard, Department of Politics, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4RJ, UK. Email: a.prichard@exeter.ac.uk 624370CNC 0 0 10.1177/0309816815624370Capital & ClassPrichard and Worth research-article 2016 by OWEN WORTH on January 25, 2016 cnc.sagepub.com Downloaded from