[lbo-talk] Marx and Engels: catastrophists

[Steve Palmer]

Quite. Not sure what point is being made with this selection. Their views on
this issue evolved and were refined considerably, most particularly after Marx
arrived at what he regarded as a scientific standpoint, around the end of the
1850s. The author makes them sound like hopeless nutters, seizing on every
social disruption as a symptom of doom. In fact their public and most of their
private prognostications were carefully grounded in concrete analyses. Viz the
focus on Ireland as the key to the British revolution in the '60s, the "Orient"
in the '80s and the later unionization of the unskilled workers in Britain. But
at no time was their response one-sided: when they welcomed crises (and they
didn't welcome all of them) it was solely because of the opportunities they
offered to get rid of them forever.

--- Michael Perelman <michael at ecst.csuchico.edu> wrote:


> But not long thereafter, when the Cotton Crisis hit, Engels was far less
> jolly.
> 
> 
> On Fri, Aug 01, 2008 at 10:36:40PM -0400, Seth Ackerman wrote:
> > I stumbled on this article while trawling JSTOR. I draw no particular 
> > conclusions from it, but it reminded me of several threads gone by....
> >
> > ---
> >
> > Alienation, Communism, and Revolution in the Marx-Engels Briefwechsel
> > Oscar J. Hammen
> > Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 33, No. 1 (Jan. - Mar., 1972), pp. 
> > 77-100
> >
> > [pp. 91-92]
> >
> > Marx and Engels speculated endlessly on the chances of revolution resulting
> 
> > from an endless variety of causes...Above all, they chronically searched 
> > the market place for signs of an economic depression, conducive to domestic
> 
> > discontent, internal paralysis, and proletarian unrest. Engels' 
> > observations covering the period before 1848 had caused him to conclude 
> > that such "crises" followed a cyclical pattern - every 5-7 years - and Marx
> 
> > was equally optimistic regarding the periodic recurrence of depressions. 
> > When an era of unprecedented prosperity followed the 1847 crash, it merely 
> > guaranteed the appearance of an equally devastating fall that would follow.
> 
> > The "crash" would be "gay" following so much production, Engels wrote.60 
> > Marx simultaneously saw "very pleasing prospects of a commercial crisis" as
> 
> > a distinct endorsement of Engels' prognosis.61 Engels thereafter decided 
> > that the stimulus furnished by California's gold was postponing the event 
> > into 1852-53. Following such a colossal output of wares, however, the crash
> 
> > would be "beautiful."62 But the expected depression was postponed for 
> > several additional years.
> >
> > The joy was all the greater when an unmistakable crisis did appear in 1856.
> 
> > This time there would be a "day of wrath" as never before, Engels exulted. 
> > All of Europe's industry was "kaputt."63 The greater the pressure grew, the
> 
> > greater the wrath of the workers would be.64 The same tonic livened the 
> > spirits of Marx. Regardless of his own personal and family distress (a 
> > chronic condition over many years), he never felt so "cosy" (sic) since 
> > 1849 as in this "outbreak."65 A mood of gay anticipation livened the 
> > spirits of both on such occasions. Engels' "dullness" was transformed into 
> > "elasticity and bouncing," (sic) as he visited the stock market where his 
> > "suddenly elated mood" angered everybody. This time no new California, 
> > Australia, or the opening of China were there to give a new stimulus to 
> > trade. But, Engels reflected, the pressure first had to become chronic so 
> > as to "warm up the masses." Since the long prosperity must have made the 
> > masses "damnably lethargic," a delay was necessary so the proletariat would
> 
> > fight with a better connaisance de cause. Otherwise the battle would be 
> > harder, more extended, and uncertain. "In 1848, we said, now our time has 
> > come, and it came in a certain sense," Engels continued. "This time it will
> 
> > come completely; now it is a life and death matter. My military studies 
> > therewith become more practical; I am studying the present organization and
> 
> > basic tactics of the Prussian, Austrian, Bavarian and French armies. 
> > Otherwise I only go hunting, that is fox hunting - which is the real 
> > school."66
> >
> > 60Engels to Marx, July 30, 1851; ibid., 223-24. The Marx-Engels letters 
> > frequently used English words like "crash," "gay," etc. 61Marx to Engels, 
> > July 31, 1851; ibid., 224. 62Engels to Marx, Mar. 2, 1852; ibid., 324-25. 
> > 63Engels to Marx, Sept. 26, 1856; Briefwechsel, II, 149-51. 64Engels to 
> > Marx, Nov. 17, 1856; ibid., 155-57. 65Marx to Engels, Nov. 13, 1857; ibid.,
> 
> > 238-39. 66Engels to Marx, Nov. 15, 1857; ibid., 239-43.
> > ___________________________________
> > http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
> 
> -- 
> Michael Perelman
> Economics Department
> California State University
> Chico, CA 95929
> 
> Tel. 530-898-5321
> E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu
> michaelperelman.wordpress.com
> ___________________________________
> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
> 

"I study a lot. That is one of the responsibilities of every revolutionary." Hugo Chavez.