Friedrich Engels and his Contribution to Marxism

Abstract

<jats:p> The 200th anniversary of the birth of F. Engels comes at a time when his contribution to Marxism is being disputed by Neue Lekture and Sraffian authors, based on the alleged discovery of him having distorted Capital. The evidence presented by the new anti-Engelsionists is flimsy and essentially philological hair-splitting arguments. The common ground uniting them is their abhorrence for the existence of Marxism as a coherent theoretical tradition and as a weapon for the revolutionary struggle of the working class for the emancipation of human society. </jats:p>

Break or Continuity? Friedrich Engels and the Critique of Digital Surveillance

“…We conclude this brief exposition of Engels's valuable contribution to the critique of political economy with reference to what has been characterised as the hidden gem of his contribution, i.e. his focus on the effect of the turnover of capital in relation to profitability (Mavroudeas 2020). This is explored in Chapter IV of the third Volume of Capital, which is now recognised as having been written exclusively by Engels (Moseley 2015, 13).…”

“…Another current, which has directed their attacks on Engels's work on political economy, is led by the Neue Marx Lektüre (New Reading of Marx) authors (Mavroudeas 2020). According to this current, Engels distorted Capital with unwarranted interventions by misrepresenting it as a finished work when in reality it was just an incomplete research project (Heinrich 1996/97).…”

“…However, since the law is presented in the third volume of Capital, which was edited by Engels and published after Marx's death, Engels's contribution to its articulation cannot be denied. In general, the streamlining of Marx's notebooks into the second and third volumes of Capital has been described as an "unmitigated feat" and "major contribution" of Engels in political economy (Mavroudeas 2020). Regarding the third volume in particular, it has been argued that Engels's editing makes Marx's manuscript look much more complete and organised than it actually was, but he mostly did not change the content of what Marx wrote (Moseley 2015, 41).…”

An untimely geographer: Friedrich Engels, ideas and geography in Oxford

“…Moreover, what Rockmore (2000) describes as Engels' 'anti-idealism' manifests itself epistemologically in the guise of a pointillist and positivist approach to observation -the kinds of empirical commitments that have populated and continue to motor some quarters of academic geographical enquiry. An Engellian geography, however, goes beyond the recognisable stakes of a modern spatial science, exceeding the obvious representational resonances with economic and social geography (Mavroudeas, 2020).…”

Friedrich Engels on state socialism

“…This nineteenth century conception should not be confused with the modern one, which covers any socialist standpoint that advocates the state, either as a temporary feature during the transition from capitalism to socialism, or as a defining feature of socialism itself. For a geographical analysis of this latter conception, seeSaed (2016).2 For a recent analysis and rebuttal of the view that Engels departed from Marxism, seeMavroudeas (2020).…”