Product Description

Written in 1833-4, when Marx was barely twenty-five, this astonishingly rich body of works formed the cornerstone for his later political philosophy. In the Critique of Hegel’s Doctrine of the State, he dissects Hegel’s thought and develops his own views on civil society, while his Letters reveal a furious intellect struggling to develop the egalitarian theory of state. Equally challenging are his controversial essay On the Jewish Question and the Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts, where Marx first made clear his views on alienation, the state, democracy and human nature. Brilliantly insightful, Marx’s Early Writings reveal a mind on the brink of one of the most revolutionary ideas in human history - the theory of Communism. This translation fully conveys the vigour of the original works. The introduction, by Lucio Colletti, considers the beliefs of the young Marx and explores these writings in the light of the later development of Marxism.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #317742 in Books
• Published on: 2000-12-31
• Original language: German
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

About the Author
Karl Marx (1818-1883). The core of Marx's economic analysis found early expression in the Ökonomisch-philosophische Manuskripte aus dem Jahre 1844 (Economic and Political Manuscripts of 1844). There, Marx argued that the conditions of modern industrial societies invariably result in the estrangement (or alienation) of workers from their own labor. In his review of a Bruno Baier book, On the Jewish Question (1844), Marx decried the lingering influence of religion over politics and proposed a revolutionary re-structuring of European society. Much later, Marx undertook a systematic explanation of his economic theories in Das Kapital (Capital) (1867-95) and Theorien über den Mehrwert (Theory of Surplus Value) (1862).

Customer Reviews

Surprisingly dificult and complicated
All this work was written when Marx was in his mid-twenties, but surprisingly contains some of his most heavy-going and demanding work. His philosophical work, such as his critique of Hegel's work is far more stretching than later political and economic writings. The stuff contained here, that relates to politics and economics is very enlightening, showing the birth of ideas that would become part of his later work.
The interesting and in-depth introduction is very helpful with regard to understanding the contents and putting them into context. This will help anyone familiar with Marx's oher work to see him in a different light and gain some idea of the gradual development of his theories.

First beginnings of Marxism
Marx penned these writings in the years of 1843 to 1844 - this was around three to four years before his first great (co authored) work "The Communist Manifesto". I think the main item of interest is how Marx evolves in the course of these two years. The opening is his "Critique of Hegel`s Doctrine of the State". This is quite a dense philosophical work and should be read carefully in conjunction with the "Introduction" which greatly assists the reader in understanding Marx`s concepts.
Of greater interest will be the "Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts" which represents a small step on the road to what was to lead to his later opus magnus "Capital".
Marx, as usual, engages in some pungent observations of the capitalist system, for example: "No eunuch flatters his despot more basely or uses more infamous means to revive his flagging capacity for pleasure, in order to win a surreptitious favour for himself, than does the eunuch of industry, the maufacturer, in order to sneak himself a silver penny or two or coax gold from the pocket of his dearly beloved neighbour" or "Money is the pimp between need and object".
In addition, in view of recent economic events, the reader should also read "Excerpts of James Mill`s Elements of Political Economy" and digest Marx`s musings on the credit system. "Thus the credit relationship - both from the point of view of the man who needs credit and of him who gives it - becomes an object of commerce, an object of mutual deception and exploitation."
This is a worthwhile read for pointers to Marx`s later development of his ideas.