Marx and Engels as Warriors of Democracy

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels are the protagonists of the 19th century democratic movement, which was the decisive leap period in humanity's struggle for democracy. However, as the 20th century drew to a close, the claim that the thoughts of Marx and Engels and political democracy were incompatible became accepted worldwide. In challenging this claim in his book, Nimtz also opposes the tendency of today's intellectuals to present Marx and Engels as intellectuals first and foremost or simply as "great thinkers." He emphasizes that they are, first and foremost, political activists and revolutionaries. The active participation of Marx and Engels as communists in the revolutionary uprisings of 1848-1849 allowed them to draw lessons and conclusions that strengthened their influence in the fight for democracy. This includes the claim that advancing the democratic struggle while developing the fight for socialism was entirely the achievement of Marx and Engels. The book also covers topics such as their political attitudes towards the peasantry, the importance they attach to the right of nations to self-determination, their struggle for women's equality, their so-called Eurocentric prejudices, and their views on the possibility of socialist revolution in a largely peasant and underdeveloped country such as late 19th century Russia. It also responds to criticisms frequently expressed about Marx and Engels.

"Nimtz aims to change the way we think about the place of Marx and Engels in history by questioning not what they said and wrote, but ... the relationship between this and what they actually did, that is, by examining this practical side of their work. An original and timely book."
Collin Leys, Socialist Register editor

First Print Year: 2012

Language Turkish