The German Ideology. [Students Edition]

Description

This edition makes easily accessible the most important parts of Marx's and Engel's major early philosophical work, "The German Ideology". The full text, which Marx and Engels were unable to get published in their lifetimes, occupies some 650 closely printed pages, the greater part of which is a detailed polemic against the "Young Hegelians" which is now of little more than historic interest. This polemic was, however, introduced by a brilliant exposition of the fundamental ideas of historical materialism which Marx and Engels were then working out. This is, in fact, their first presentation of the new revolutionary philosophy, and as such is written with all the freshness of a new discovery. This edition contains only the first part of the complete work, together with a number of excerpts presenting the most telling points, which remain fully relevant today, out of the polemics which occupy the parts of the work not included in this edition. The editor has added an introduction dealing with the place of "The German Ideology" in the evolution of Marxism and containing a summary of the contents and controversies which occupy the parts of the work not printed here. Marx's famous "Theses on Feuerbach" and his unfinished "Introduction to a Critique of Political Economy" are added as appendices. (From the publisher) EDITOR'S PREFACE EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION THE GERMAN IDEOLOGY Preface I. FEUERBACH, OPPOSITION OF THE MATERIALIST AND IDEALIST OUTLOOK A. Idealism and Materialism The Illusions of German Ideology First Premises of Materialist Method History: Fundamental Conditions Private Property and Communism B. The Illusion of the Epoch Civil Society - and the conception of History Feuerbach: Philosophic, and Real, Liberation Ruling Class and Ruling Ideas C. The Real Basis of Ideology Division of Labour: Town and Country The Rise of Manufacturing The Relation of State and Law to Property D. Proletarians and Communism Individuals, Class, and Community Forms of Intercourse Conquest Contradictions of Big Industry: Revolution II. SELECTIONS FROM THE REMAINING PARTS OF THE GERMAN IDELOGY Kant and Liberalism The Language of Property Philosophy and Reality Personal, versus General, Interest One-sided Development Will as the Basis of Right Artistic Talent Utilitarianism The Philosophy of Enjoyment Needs and Conditions The Free Development of Individuals Language and Thought "True" Socialism SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS Karl Marx. Theses on Feuerbach Karl Marx. Introduction to a Critique of Political Economy Name and Authority Index Subject Index