>From: m.lepore@genie.geis.com Subject: The Real Marx and Engels Date: 7 Aug 1993 17:31:17 -0500 An ongoing discussion entitled "The Real Marx and Engels" was started December 30, 1991 on the GEnie network, in the "Religion and Philosophy Bulletin Board". For your reference, the first message posted in that BB topic is copied below. This article shows my intent in starting the topic. In the past year and a half, the entire range of Marxian philosophy has been investigated several times over. Any network users who have GEnie access are invited to join in. (GEnie is a commercial service available only by subscription; the BB's are not accessible from the internet or usenet.) Mike Lepore mlepore@mcimail.com m.lepore@genie.geis.com __________________________________________________________________ attached file __________________________________________________________________ Category 37 Topic 16 Mon Dec 30, 1991 M.LEPORE at 18:22 EST Sub: The Real Marx and Engels This topic is about the real Marx and Engels, not the imaginary ones you learned about in school, and hear about in the news media. ------------ Category 37, Topic 16 Message 1 Mon Dec 30, 1991 M.LEPORE at 18:24 EST Does the "communism" that has enslaved and murdered millions of people since the Russian Revolution of 1917 really reflect the philosophy of Marx and Engels? Or could it be that these brutal dictatorships, which have obviously been lying when they call themselves "people's democratic republics", have also been lying when they call themselves "Marxist"? You have been taught that Marxist revolutions depose the capitalists, only to install, in their place, powerful states which are distinct from the population itself, and ruling over the people. The real Marx insisted, however: "What is to avoided, above all, is the re-establishing of 'society' as an abstraction vis-a-vis the individual." [1] You have been taught that Marxism is opposed to democracy. However, the real Marx held that "Democracy is the solved riddle of all constitutions." He believed that "all forms of state ... are untrue insofar as they are not democracy." [2] You have been taught that it was Marxist for several countries to attempt to control the thoughts of the citizens, and to demand uniformity of thought. The real Marx, however, insisted that "the maxim of the great Florentine is mine: 'Follow your own course, no matter what people say.'" [3] You have been taught that it was Marxist for several countries to outlaw religion, and persecute people for their religious practices. The real Marx, however, like the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, insisted only that religion is a private matter, to be kept separate from government. He wrote: "Man emancipates himself politically from religion by expelling it from the sphere of public law to that of private law." [4] You may have been told that Marx neglected human feelings, and was concerned only with the economic benefits of a new system. The real Marx intended that we should transcend the social conditions that require us to devote much worry to material things. "With the increasing value of the world of things, proceeds, in direct proportion, the devaluation of the world of men." [5] You have been taught that Marxism is consistent with Lenin's program of establishing control of the workplace by the state, and control of the state by a self-proclaimed "vanguard party". However, the real Marx and Engels proposed direct control of the workplace by the workers themselves, by some mixture of direct democracy and the use of elected representatives. Engels gave this practical example of how it could be done: "Let us take by way of example a cotton spinning mill.... particular questions arise in each room at every moment concerning the mode of production, distribution of materials, etc. ... whether they are settled by decision of a delegate placed at the head of each branch of labor, or, if possible, by a majority vote...." [6] You have been taught that subversive acts, and even terrorist acts, taking place in countries which have elections and amendable constitutions, are sometimes committed by Marxists. The real Marx clarified his position in a speech at the Hague in Amsterdam, pointing out that "there are countries - such as America, England, and if I were more familiar with your institutions I might add Holland, where the workers can attain their goal by peaceful means." [7] You have been taught that Marxism forces the individual to surrender decision-making ability to bureaucrats, and to obey them on faith. However, the real Marx described his goal with this precaution: "The life-process of society, which is based on the process of material production, does not strip off its mystical veil until it is treated as production by freely associated men, and is consciously regulated by them in accordance with a settled plan." [8] That the workers would be "freely associated" is fundamental to the socialist goal, for, as Engels explained: "It goes without saying that society cannot free itself without every individual being freed." [9] * * * * * * The media have been telling you repeatedly about "the failure of Marxism" around the world in recent years. However, since no society has ever really attempted to implement Marxism, it makes little sense to cite the failure of it. You might as well say that our last space mission to Alpha Centauri was a failure. Nothing can be a failure if no one has ever tried it. * * * * * * References ========== Page numbers in parentheses refer to excerpts in R.C. Tucker, _The Marx-Engels Reader_, New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1978 [1] Marx, _The Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844_, (p. 545) [2] Marx, _Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's __Philosophy of Right_ [1843] (pp. 20-21) [3] Marx, preface to the first German edition of _Capital_ [1867] (p. 298) [4] Marx, "On the Jewish Question" [1843] (p. 35) [5] Marx, EPM of 1844 (p. 71) [6] Engels, article in the _Almanacco Repubblicano_ [1874] (p. 731) [7] Marx, address delivered at the Hague 9-8-1872 (p. 523) [8] Marx, _Capital_, volume 1, Part 1, Chapter 1 (p. 327) [9] Engels, _Anti-Duhring_ [1878] reprint of 1935, Charles H. Kerr & Co., p. 307