On this day, August 5, 1895, the co-founder of Marxism, Friedrich Engels, died.
His contribution to both theoretical analysis and revolutionary politics was decisive, regardless of the fact that he himself chose to play «second fiddle».
Today, his contribution is under the attack of «spineless friends of Marxism». The key points of this attack are that:
(a) Marx was a liberal spirit who constantly investigated issues and who in the end probably did not have a firm opinion on many of them. Characteristically, these «friends of Marxism» argue that Marx had doubts, among other things, about the possibility of a revolutionary overthrow of capitalism and about the theory of economic crisis (based on the falling tendency of the rate of profit). Consequently, CAPITAL is an unfinished but also nfinishable (due to internal contradictions and problems) work. Of course, they imply that same is true of Marxism in general which was not a creation of Marx but an artificial construct of Engels.
(b) In contrast to Marx, Engels is presented as obsessively intent on creating a coherent theory of Marxism that would provide the basis for building communist workers’ parties and guide their revolutionary politics. Thus he is accused of essentially «writing» the second and third volumes of CAPITAL, forcing conclusions, distorting Marxist thoughts and concealing problems, gaps and contradictions.
In this attack against not only Engels but also against the very content and essence of Marxism, lead the way currents such as the German Neue Marx Lekture (with the control it acquired on MEGA thanks to of the German state) and well-publicized authors such as M.Heinrich and D. Harvey. At the forefront of their attack is the supposed existence of «many Marxisms». These currents essentially want a «dilution» of Marxism and especially a teething of it as a guide of working class politics autonomous from bourgeois centers. Essentially, they want marxists and communists as poor servants of the ‘left of capital’ (in Europe of social democracy and in the USA of the liberals of the Democratic Party).
Against this attack the best honor to Engels’ memory is to defend his work and especially his decisive contribution to revolutionary working-class politics.
In this context, on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Engels, a series of events and interventions were organized. Indicatively, I quote the links to some of them.
«Engels as a critic of capitalism and a theoretician of the revolution», Organized by: TETRADIA MARXISMO, e-CRISIS https://stavrosmavroudeas.wordpress.com/2021/01/05/%cf%84%ce%bf-video-%cf %84%ce%b7%cf%82-%ce%b4%ce%b9%ce%b1%ce%b4%ce%b9%ce%ba%cf%84%cf%85%ce%b1%ce% ba%ce%ae%cf%82-%ce%b7%ce%bc%ce%b5%cf%81%ce%af%ce%b4%ce%b1%cf%82-%ce%b3%ce% b9%ce%b1-%cf%84%ce%b1-200/
‘Once Again on the Alleged Differences between Engels and Marx’ by S.Mavroudeas, International Critical Thought https://stavrosmavroudeas.wordpress.com/2020/12/15/once-again-on-the-alleged-differences-between- engels-and-marx-by-s-mavroudeas-international-critical-thought-50-free-copies/
The video of the Webinar on Friedrich Engels on the 200th anniversary of his birth – M.Roberts & S.Mavroudeas https://stavrosmavroudeas.wordpress.com/2020/11/29/the-video-of-the-webinar-on -friedrich-engels-on-the-200th-anniversary-of-his-birth-m-roberts-s-mavroudeas/
Friedrich Engels and his contribution to Marxism by S.Mavroudeas – HUMAN GEOGRAPHY https://stavrosmavroudeas.wordpress.com/2020/07/08/friedrich-engels-and-his-contribution-to-marxism-by-s-mavroudeas- human-geography/
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