William Wainwright (1908-2000) was a British communist activist and member of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB). During his time in the party, Wainwright briefly served as the secretary of the British Soviet Society and was heavily involved in the peace movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He is perhaps most well-known, however, for his writings on the concept of scientific socialism.
This collection contains records regarding Wainwright’s time on the CPGB’s Science and Technology Sub-Committee and as the science correspondent for the Morning Star. It also includes Wainwright's personal reflections on subjects as diverse as the Vietnam War, public transportation policy, and the relevance of the dictatorship of the proletariat.
The materials provide scholars with a unique insight into the complicated relationship between Marxist thought and modern science.
The collection is accompanied by three contextual essays written by Professor Kevin Morgan, a senior academic at the University of Manchester.