Product Description

This work has an introduction from Ichele Barratt, one of Britain's leading feminist writers, who discusses the relevance for the modern feminist novement of Engle's conclusions about the family.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2423336 in Books
• Published on: 1902
• Binding: Hardcover
• 217 pages

About the Author
Friedrich Engels was born in 1820. In 1842 Engels went to Manchester to represent the family firm. Relationships there inspired the famous The Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844. Collaboration with Marx began in 1844 and in 1847 he composed the first drafts of the Manifesto. After Marx's death, he prepared the unfinished volumes of Capital for publication. He died in 1895. Dr Tristram Hunt is one of Britain's best known young historians. Educated at Cambridge and Chicago Universities, he is lecturer in British history at Queen Mary, University of London and author of several books. A leading historical broadcaster, he has authored numerous series for the BBC and Channel 4. A regular contributor to The Times, The Guardian and The Observer, he is a Trustee of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Customer Reviews

A Marxist classic
Engels wrote this book more than a hundred years ago, attempting to prove that the family, the private property and the state are not "natural" institutions, but results of a historical development starting with the first farmer-societies. As the material basis of the society changed, it opened room for a ruling class, needing these institutions to maintain and protect their position.

At the time Engels wrote this book, the scientific material available was very small. Since then the scientific material has increased dramatically, and parts of the material Engels based his work on have shown not to be too accurate. However his conclusions are surprisingly accurate, even after a hundred years.

The most interesting part about this small book is Engels historical method. Engels attempts to have a strictly historical-material view on the development of mankind, emphasising the economic and material basis of the society.

The conclusion is politically very important. Since different kinds of oppression has developed throughout history, oppression can be ended throughout history, giving a scientific fundament to change the world and put an end to oppression.

"The Origin of..." is a Marxist classic, truly showing the scientific character of Marxism.

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").