Book Description
The Condition of the Working-Class in England in 1844 contains a detailed description and analysis of the appalling conditions of the working class in Britain and Ireland during Engels' stay in England. By the 19th-century German political philosopher, who developed communist theory alongside his better-known collaborator, Karl Marx, coauthoring Manifesto of the Communist Party (1848). Engels also edited the second and third volumes of Das Kapital after Marx's death. ... Read more

Book Description
“An eternal being created human society as it is today, and submission to `superiors' and `authority' is imposed on the `lower' classes by divine will.” This suggestion, coming from the pulpit, platform and press, has hypnotized the minds of men and proves to be one of the strongest pillars of exploitation.

The history of the family dates from 1861, the year of the publication of Bachofen's “Mutterrecht” (maternal law) Engles makes the following propositions:

1. That in the beginning people lived in unrestricted sexualintercourse, which he dubs, not very felicitously, hetaerism.

2. That such an intercourse excludes any absolutely certain means ofdetermining parentage; that consequently descent could only betraced by the female line in compliance with maternal law - andthat this was universally practiced by all the nations ofantiquity.

3. That consequently women as mothers, being the only well knownparents of younger generations, received a high tribute of respectand deference, amounting to a complete women's rule (gynaicocracy),according to Bachofen's idea.

4. That the transition to monogamy, reserving a certain womanexclusively to one man, implied the violation of the primevalreligious law (i.e., practically a violation of the customary rightof all other men to the same woman), which violation had to beatoned for its permission purchased by the surrender of the womento the public for a limited time.Download Description
One of Engels' most important works. It is based on a detailed synopsis made by Marx in 1880-81 of the work of the American anthropologist, Lewis H. Morgan. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

they were wrong but you have to know why
Marx and Engels made a fundamentally wrong guess about the nature of human beings. But it is very important to understand their line of reasoning, because they developed quite a few critical insights along the way. Due to political charge associated with their teachings it is practically impossible to find suitable third party narrative of their works. So, the only way to enlighten yourself is to dig right down into originals.

Why doesn't the war of the sexes ever end?
Why is society so cruel? It seems to be self-defeating. Why doesn't the war of the sexes ever end? In no other species do the two sexes battle against each other.

In this book we learn that things weren't always this way. In fact, oppression and exploitation are recent inventions, if we count that human history dates back EIGHTY thousand years since the rise of homo sapiens sapiens. At one point most cultures suddenly became sedentary and agriculturalist - and private property in the land emerged. Private property of land resulted in an overthrow of the matriarchal family by its male members and in the establishment of a separate group of men who violently protect unequal relationships (the state as we know it today). All happened together in a revolution that occurred in the course of just a few generations some SIX thousand years ago.

Nonetheless, the moral of this story is one of hope. If we were capable of remaking ourselves once, and based on that have advanced dramatically in a limited sense of creating material culture, then humankind can remake itself again and found a culture that enriches all aspects of everyone's lives. But this time the redesign will have to be conscious and conscientious, the beginning of a humane human history in which all participate on an equal basis. Such is the future that socialism and communism promise for us.

As a companion to this volume, be sure to read Women's Evolution, by Reed. Written a century later, it shows that anthropology's evidence overwhelmingly coincides with the theory Engels put forward in this book.

Relevant Today
Was human society always overseen by a military and police force?
Was wealth and the means of producing more wealth always the private possession of individuals or a small section of society?
Were women always at the bottom of society, treated primarily as sex objects and machines for child-bearing and child-raising?

And is this humanity's destiny?
In this book published in 1884, Fredrich Engels answers the above questions in the negative. His book is based on anthropological data available in his day from societies around the globe. New discoveries since have confirmed his conclusions and the book is remarkably relevant today.

Tearing Down Social Icons
Are the father-centered family, private property, and the state necessary and inevitable part of all human societies?
Frederick Engels, coworker of Karl Marx, says no.Engels demonstrates that these three institutions arose in the fairly recent history of the human race, as a way to establish the rule of the many over the few.And, conversley, when these institutions are an obstacle to human progress, they can be dismantled.
Although this book was written about 125 years ago, the subject matter and his point of view sound surprisingly modern.Evelyn Reed, a Marxist anthropologist, writes a 1972 introduction that updates the original work from the point of view of 20th century anthropology debates abd the rise of modern women's movement.An additional short article by Engels, "The part played by labor in the transition from ape to man" is a lively piece that could be part of today's debates on human origin with almost no hint of its vintage (except maybe for his use of the term "man", instead of gender-neutral "humanity").

To change society we have to understand it
This is a serious, scientific and materialist analysis of development and change in human society and its institutions. Frederick Engels, who along with Karl Marx was one of the central founders of the modern communist movement, wrote this book in the late 1800s based on the latest developments in the then-new science of anthropology.Studying it can help us understand society and be better prepared to organize and work to change it.

Engels takes up the rise of the state and of the family and the oppression of women as early societies became more productive, making possible the division of groups of human beings into those who produce and those who live off them, and the need of the exploiters to perpetuate this state of affairs.

The Pathfinder Press edition also has a valuable introduction by Evelyn Reed, long-time socialist activist and author of works including "Woman's Evolution," "Sexism and Science," "Cosmetics, Fashion and the Exploitation of Women," and "Problems of Women's Liberation." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

a pleasure to read
This book was used in one of the classes I took as an undergraduate. It seems to be a thorough and well chosen collection of the writings of Marx and Engels, with some insightful commentary by the editor, Robert Tucker. I'm not a scholar of the work of these two men, but reading through this again I'm struck with the notion that their ideas are still very much alive and relevant today. Marx is much maligned in the United States, but in many ways he was a humanitarian who wanted to change the world into a better place. And, as he argued, capitalism (including how it is practiced today) is deeply flawed in many ways.Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.

A classic compendium of Marxist thought
Whether or not one is a Marxist, knowledge of Marx' work is important in understanding the variety of political philosophizing over the millennia.Marx' political thought is sometimes difficult (think the "Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844") and sometimes transparent (e.g., "The Manifesto of the Communist Party," more popularly referred to as the "Communist Manifesto").

This edited work is one of the best introductions to the works of Marx (and Engels).The volume begins with the early Marx, which includes the "Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844," excerpts from "The Holy Family" (in which he attacks some of the other socialists of the era), "Theses on Feuerbach," and the first of the truly classic works that Marx and Engels co-authored, "The German Ideology." It is interesting to note that "The German Ideology" covers much the same territory as "The Holy Family," with the major exception that Marx now addresses the intriguing and offbeat work by Max Stirner, "The Ego and His Own."In the process of addressing Stirner, Marx and Engels take the philosophical edifice to a more powerful level, creating a new perspective with a move away from idealism and toward materialism.

Other major works included are excerpts from "Das Kapital" (fairly turgid reading, I fear), the "Manifesto of the Community Party" (which ends with the famous phrase [page 500]) "The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains."), the "Critique of the Gotha Program," and "The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte" (with its great introductory phrase [page 594] "Hegel remarks somewhere that all great, world-historical facts and personages occur, as it were, twice.He has forgotten to add: the first time as tragedy, the second as farce.").

The final section of the work features the work of Engels, including "Socialism: Utopian and Scientific," "Anti-Duhring," "The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State."

If one be interested in learning more about Marx (and Engels), this is an accessible edited work that provides some of the key works.

Essential Marx, all in one volume
If you're looking for a single volume collection of Marx (and a little Engels), this is the one you want. The other reviewers list some of the selections, but the bottom line is: if you've heard of it, it's here.This is the book I keep on my shelf for those (decreasingly common) moments when I want to look up something in Marx.

The only problem lies in the production values - - the pages are thin and light weight, and the font a bit small, in order to cram it all in.If you highlight with a yellow pen, you'll be frustrated because it will bleed through worse than usual.Use a ballpoint pen or a pencil.My eyesight is still good, but if it weren't, I suspect the font size would be another frustration.

Still, if you're browsing this page, you're in the market for Marx.This is the book you want.

Essential Works Of Marxs & Engels For the Beginner!
Given the impact of Marxism on the unfolding history of the later nineteenth and twentieth century, the beginning student of the combined writings of both Marx and Engels will find this collection of the essential works of these two pioneering socialists absolutely essential reading. Its list of included works covers the waterfront of all that is required to gain a fruitful first look at the wealth of their philosophical musings, and the nature of their revolutionary canon, as well. Reading this material is essential if one is to understand the depth of Marx's understanding and the detail of his genius, however discredited he may be in current estimations. Indeed, with the rise of international corporatism is so close to his prognostications regarding the final phases of capitalism that it is hard to deny his continuing relevance.

Included here is everything from the Communist Manifesto all the way to Volume One of Das Capital. One can gain a better appreciation for his ideas regarding the way in which the antagonism between the oppressed and the oppressors provides the motive force for history, and how all history is the history of such class struggles between the owners of the means of production, on the one hand, and the workers, who have nothing to barter with but their considerable capacity to accomplish labor. If one want to gain a better appreciation for the nuances regarding how alienation is created buy the organization of work, or the origin of property, or even the ways in which all of the aspects of a particualr society's culture are manifestations of the values of the ruling class, then a careful reading of the material found here will serve you well.I highly recommend this book. Enjoy!

The best collection we have
"The Marx-Engels Reader" is the best single collection of Marx's thought.What makes it doubly important, is that it is one of the few texts which contain an index.This sounds unremarkable, but believe me, it makes the text extremely more useful.This book transcends the state of being a mere anthology, and is an indespensible reference work.

Make sure you get the second edition. ... Read more

Amazon.com
"A spectre is haunting Europe," Karl Marx and Frederic Engels wrote in 1848, "the spectre of Communism." This new edition of The Communist Manifesto, commemorating the 150th anniversary of its publication, includes an introduction by renowned historian Eric Hobsbawm which reminds us of the document's continued relevance. Marx and Engels's critique of capitalism and its deleterious effect on all aspects of life, from the increasing rift between the classes to the destruction of the nuclear family, has proven remarkably prescient. Their spectre, manifested in the Manifesto's vivid prose, continues to haunt the capitalist world, lingering as a ghostly apparition even after the collapse of those governments which claimed to be enacting its principles.Book Description
Originally published on the eve of the 1848 European revolutions, The Communist Manifesto is a condensed and incisive account of the worldview Marx and Engels developed during their hectic intellectual and political collaboration. Formulating the principles of dialectical materialism, they believed that labor creates wealth, hence capitalism is exploitive and antithetical to freedom.

This new edition includes an extensive introduction by Gareth Stedman Jones, Britain's leading expert on Marx and Marxism, providing a complete course for students of The Communist Manifesto, and demonstrating not only the historical importance of the text, but also its place in the world today.Download Description
Still relevant today both as a historical document and as a stirring call for social democracy, this New Albion edition includes Engel's extensive footnotes from the various editions, plus the changing Prefaces written first by Marx and Engels, and later by Engels alone, plus notes on the Manifesto and the various translations of it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (250)

Marx, communist manifesto
With this review I hope to cover some areas others have not. I would have the reader to read more than just my review of this product.

Karl Marx: The Communist Manifesto, A Norton critical edition
Edited by Frederic L Bender.

The Communist Manifesto is by all means one of the most (if not the most) controversial documents of non-religious origin. This Norton Critical Editiondoes this work justice in many ways: It gives a bullet point historical outline of events leading up to the manifesto,provides a brief history leading up to the writing of the manifesto (a must read in my opinion), provides the manifesto itself, and then gives the reader commentary from various writers concerning the manifesto's historical impact and interpretation. All this in just over 200 pages.Those looking only for a brief description of the product need read no further.


The rest of this review is my impression of the manifesto andthe historical context in this volume. Events leading up to the writing of "The Communist Manifesto" saw many Europeans in poverty. Marx himself lost three of his own children; to quotea note in Oxford's version of Marx's "Capital" stated, "Poverty was partly responsible for the death of three of his six children."At any rate Pauperism was the norm in European society, and Marx attempts to paint a grotesque picture for the reader: The Bourgeois (capitalists, the have's, the rich) vs. the Proletarians (impoverished).Background of the text sees the artisans (middle class) vanishing (loss of the middle class) , and an increase in number of the Proletarians. This helps the reader grasp a clear visual of European society prior to the writing of the manifesto (it is interesting to note that Germany was in ruins prior to the rise of Hitler).Let us now look at Marx himself.

What I found most interesting about Marx's writing is thathereally saw no other alternative but to call for removal of all Bourgeois power, andabolition of owning property. To quote Marx, "The communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only be the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. WORKING MEN OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!"Marx also openly criticized what he considered other forms of socialism that did not call for "forcible overthrow" and referred to one of them as "Utopian."

Marx states further, "There are, besides, eternal truths, such as Freedom, Justice, etc.; that are common to all states of society. But Communism abolishes eternal truths, it abolishes all religion, and all morality, instead of constituting them on a new basis; it therefore acts in contradiction to all past historical experience."This is one of the most shocking comments (to me personally) made by Marx in his manifesto. There are individuals that don't understand thatunder Marxist communism freedom of religion doesn't exist. There is a side note from another writing of Marx(supplied cleverly by Frederic L Bender the editor of this version ) where Marx is very critical of Christianity. To quote Marx,

"The social principles of Christianity preach cowardice, self -contempt, abasement, submissiveness and humbleness, in short all the qualities of the rabble, and the proletariat, which will not permit itself to be treated as rabble, needs its courage, its self-confidence, its pride and its sense of independence even more than its bread.The social principles of Christianity are sneaking and hypocritical, and the proletariat is revolutionary." (Marx, The Communism of the Rheinische Beobachter, Marx, Engels Collected works).

It is at this moment that I would like to divert momentarily into the difference between Christian thought and Marx. Marx writings are indignant toward Christianity in general, and call on the state to assume control over all aspects of life: religion, property, and all business. The Christianity of the Bible was never a political system. Peter told Ananias in Acts 5:3-4 that the property that Ananias sold was his own, and that "after it was sold was it not in thine own power?" Ananias could have chosen to not sell the property, or to keep a portion of the money for himself without lying about it. The record itself shows a spiritual decision that took Ananias outside God's protection. However, the important context is that the decision belonged to Ananias. No one forced him to sell his property. After all Peter stated, "Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold , was it not in thine own power?" Christian doctrine did NOT involve the FORCED take over of property, nor did it impose a belief system on those who chose not to commit to Christian doctrine. Now what men have done in the name of God over the centuries is a much different story, and would not be prudent to indulge in at this time.
In closing, I would like to point out that Marx was a free trade advocate. The editor of this text points this out on numerous occasions that sited other works of Marx. Marx himself saw free trade as a vehicle to unite socialism. The reader needs to be aware that Marx vision was to see the rise of Capitalism as a necessity means to the bourgeois coming to power and a proletariat revolt.Unfortunately after deep consideration I can see these forces at work in the U.S.A.!!! The almost certain death of the middle class and the rise of huge corporations. Politicians who succumb to help the few at the expense of many. We are in fact becoming more of a have and have not society ourselves. The one great principle we as Americans have is the ability to start our own business. Small business is still the key to wealth in this country. Employers will never give an individual financial freedom. It is only the rightwe still hold by a thread to start our own business and make our own wealth that really keeps capitalism alive and thriving. Without it, you are left with a have and have not society, and with it will come the rise of another Marx.I pray that our country turns from this form of soft socialism that has been imposed upon us, and thatwe never have to witness those horridwords spring forth from another's pen, " WORKING MEN OF ALL COUNTRIES UNITE!"
That is the biggest lesson I took away from this.

Great Publication
While it is likely that you (like myself) might not agree with many of Marx's and Engels ideas, this book is essential for understanding much of modern history. A few good reasons to purchase this publication is that this publication is quite small, light and cheap. It contains a good number of prefaces written by both Marx and Engels so if you are interested its worth the money.

Greatest and most important political work of all-time.
Although it at first had little or no impact on the widespread and varied revolutionary movements of the mid-19th century Europe, the Communist Manifesto was to become one of the most widely read and discussed documents of the 20th century. Marx sought to differentiate his brand of socialism from others by insisting that it was scientifically based in the objective study of history, which he saw as being a continuous process of change and transformation. Just as feudalism had naturally evolved into mercantilism and then capitalism, so capitalism would inevitably give way to its logical successor, socialism (a term which in Marx's usage includes its most advanced form, communism) as the necessary result of class struggle. Marx's insistence that tough-minded realism should replace the utopian idealism of earlier socialists had profound consequences: it enabled revolutionaries like Lenin to be put it into action, but it also tended to encourage its followers to accept ruthless means to justify what they believed were historically necessary ends. Radical politics were being much more widely discussed than the small number of radicals justified; but Marx uses this fact to his advantage by proclaiming that any ideology so feared must be important and worth explaining clearly.

The Hobo Philosopher
Well, if you are a student of Philosophy or economics you must make this a part of your reading whether you want to or not. It is not long. It is not difficult. It is quite explicit. And after you read it you should have a better understanding of where you personally stand politically. I am not going to comment on what it says or advocates. Read it and find out for yourself. You won't need an interpreter.

Must have for any wannabe idealist
Well, obviously I havent read this fascinating piece of litrerature, but thats because a read book just looks so scruffy on my beautiful capitalist shelves.
This book makes me look a lot more sympathetic to all those wannabe commies, so why not dish out on a copy too?
Nah just joking, just read it and decide for yourself.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Brian Wayne Wells, Esquire, reviews Collected Works Vol. 6
This is the sixth volume of the 50 volume set contianing English translations of all the writings of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels.The publication of the entire 50 volumes was the massive undertaking of International Publishers of New York City. It is truly a historic project which has taken since 1975.Some of the articles and writings contained in the 50 volume set have never before been seen in English.Some have never been published in any language and some were discovered even as the publication of this collection was going to press and are seen here in this set for the first time.

Volume 6 contains Marx's "Poverty of Philosophy: Answer to 'Philosophy of Poverty' by M. Proudhon" wherein Marx presents for the first time his fully matured theory of scientific socialism as he attacks the utopian ideas of the ancharist followers of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon.Also contained in Volume 6 is the most widely read of all the writings of Marx and Engels--the Manifesto of the Communist Party. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Brian Wells, Esquire, reviews "Collected Works" Vol. 4
This is Volume 4 of the historic 50 volume set of everything ever written by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels.The mammoth undertaking was initiated by International Publishers of New York City in 1975 and continued until all 50 volumes were published.

Volume 4 covers the years 1844 thru 1845 and contains "The Holy Family" written by Marx and Engels jointly and "The Condition of the Working Class in England" written by Engels alone andwhich was drawn from his series of articles called "The Condition in England" published in Volume 3 of this edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Brian Wayne Wells, Esquire, reviews Collected Works Vol. 7
Volume 7 of the massive 50 volume set of the English translations of all the writings of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels is a very significant book.Having developed and refined their theory of dialectical historical materialism known as scientific socialism, Marx and Engels set about applying their theory to explain the significance of events occuring in their own day.

Because Volume contains the writings of Marx nd Engels from the year 1848, the events which fill the pages of this book are the various revolutionary upsurges that were occurring all around Europe that year.In Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt, Vienna, and Hungary along with many other places in Europe, the revolt of the people required monarchs everywhere to come to terms with the demands of the people for representive assemblies and constitutions which would restrict the absolute authority and "devine right" of royalty.All by itself, Volume 7 is exciting reading of one of the most significant times in human history. ... Read more

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Translated by Florence Kelley Wischnewetzky ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Brian Wells,Esquire, reviews Collected Works by Marx
This is the first of the massive 50 volume set of everything ever written by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels.

This volume contains the Doctoral Disertation and other early works of Karl Marx. It is a very interesting view into the early beliefs of the great nineteenth century thinker and economist. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Brian Wells, Esquire, reviews Collected Works (Vol. 4)
This is the fourth volume of the massive 50 volume undertaking started by International Publishers of New York in 1975.The entire 50 volume set attempts to collect in one place an English version of everthing written by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels.

Marx and Engels writing in the nineteenth century had vastly more impact on the twentieth century than on their own century.The Collected Works provides the reader with not only a description and analysis of events as they happened, the 1848 revolutionary upsurge across Europe, the Crimean War, the Paris Commune and even the United States Civil War, but also provides ample background into the thoughts of Marx and Engels through the publication of their letters to each other as well as to third parties.

The fourth volume itself, covering the years 1844-1845, contains the classic article "The Holy Family" on which both writers collaborated and Engels' article "The Condition of the Working Class in England." These articles alone are worthy additions to the library of a person attempting to understand Marxism. ... Read more

Book Description
Virtually everything Marx and Engels ever wrote on labor strikes and trade unions has been collected in this volume for the first time. It includes vivid, often eyewitness accounts of many of the greatest strikes and labor struggles of the last century.
This original and valuable collection challenges the prevailing assumption that Marx and Engels cared little for trade unions and their role in the transition to socialism or that they had little practical involvement with unions. Lapides illuminates the immense part personally played by Marx and Engels in helping to establish the modern labor movement. Covering the period 1844-1894, the book features graphic and moving portrayals of contemporary labor stuggles, candid personal views of various labor leaders, biting polemics against socialist rivals, and eloquent passages. Lapides provides an introduction that places the excerpts in historical and theoretical context. ... Read more

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A critical analysis of German philosophical idealism and a one of the earliest accounts of materialism, revolution, and communism. ... Read more