In the preface to the 1872 German edition of “The Communist Manifesto”, Marx and Engels noted that in the 25 years since the Manifesto was written, “although in principle still correct”, it was “antiquated, because the political situation has been entirely changed, and the progress of history has swept from off the earth the greater portion of the political parties there enumerated.”. They further note that due to the historical nature of the Manifesto even by 1872 they had no right to alter it. Engels updated this preface again in 1888, five years after the death of Marx, and noted that if it were written today it would be worded quite differently, noting for example the “gigantic strides of modern industry” as well as lessons from the Paris Commune. He also credits Bakunin with the Russian edition of the Manifesto.
Within 25 years of the Manifesto, Marx and Engels both were stating they would write it differently if they had a chance to write it fresh, although they considered the basic principles intact. Then Engels expands further on this point, 41 years after the Manifesto, suggesting a few areas in which it would read quite differently. This is worthy of pause, considering the rigid orthodoxy that grew up around Bolshevism and the Second and Third Internationals, and the circular-firing-squad factionalism that took root in the shattered (US)American Left after the two Red Scares. full: http://www.thenorthstar.info/?p=12338 _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
