>From:
[email protected]
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
[email protected] [email protected]
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attached file
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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
