Belgian Trade Unionist, Economic theorist, and Marxist. He is one of the most important Marxist thinkers of the second half of the twentieth century. Ernest Mandel lived until his death as one of the main defenders of Marxism and one of the distinguished leaders of the Trotskyist movement.
Ernest Ezra Mandel was born on April 5, 1923, in Frankfurt, to Henri and Rosa Mandel. Ernest, a Polish immigrant and a member of a Jewish family, was studying at the University of Brussels but had to leave his education short when World War II broke out and the Germans closed the school. As difficult as World War II was for everyone, it was a little harder for Ernest.
Ernest Ezra Mandel (5 April 1923 – 20 July 1995), was a Belgian Marxian economist, Trotskyist activist and theorist, and Holocaust survivor. He fought in the underground resistance against the Nazis during the occupation of Belgium.
Both his Marxist ideas and his belonging to a Jewish family made his job very difficult. Aware of all this, Ernest knew that he had no choice but to join the resistance. He took part in the resistance and was arrested during this time. Ernest, who managed to escape, experienced the same incident again in a short time, and this time he was sent to Dora, one of the Nazi concentration camps (1944). Ernest, who was arrested just before the end of the war, was lucky enough to be released. After the end of the war, he became a well-known figure in Belgium. He managed to establish himself with his actions during the war.
Ernest, whose thoughts about Marxism did not change after the war, started writing in newspapers to make his thoughts known to others. He showed how successful he was in this regard with the publications he made during the war. From 1941 to the 50s, he wrote in newspapers such as I'Observatuar, Agence France Presse, Le Peuple, and Het-Parol. In addition, he published the newspaper Het Vrije Woord without permission. He knew how to use not only the domestic press but also the foreign press effectively. At the same time, it was taken into power in the 2nd congress elections of the International in 1946. He was no longer just a resistance writer and had taken his first step towards becoming a trade unionist. If there is one more thing to add about his writing, he published 30 books and approximately 2500 articles throughout his life, which were translated into many languages.
Between 1955-63, he was a member of the Economic Studies Commission of the Belgian International Trade Union Federation. Completing his post-war education, Ernest became an expert in economics. He put forward systemic theories between Marxist thought and capitalism. His most important work is Late Capitalism. Ernest, who has now proven himself to the world in economics, began working as a professor at the University of Brussels in 1985. Ernest, who spent his life developing in the field of Economics, passed away in Brussels on July 20, 1995.