Karl Marx: sein Leben und seine Zeit

by Richard Friedenthal

German

652 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Biographer and author. Born in 1896, and worked in publishing before emigrating to Britain in 1938. Worked for the BBC and as London editor of Neue Rundschau.

Reviews

[Alma · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was further proof that one cannot be “neutral” toward Marxism.

In this 600-page biography of Marx's life, the author claims to have written a portrait of Marx without “condemning” his ideas, but simply explaining them and embedding them in the context of the time: “Criticizing Marx's theory is not my concern; I am interested in his life and his times.” Maybe understanding Marx's theory should have been his concern. Because obv. history and philosophical ideas are not presented neutrally here, but from the standpoint of the ruling class. Those who have not understood the ideas of Marx (and Engels) as a brilliant philosophy essentially reduce Marx's life to gossip and personal anecdotes, which ist in essence what happens in this book.

Positive: The historical context and the political discussions and movements of the time (1848, Paris Commune, Chartist movement, Hegel, Saint-Simon, etc.) are examined and explained in detail. Marxism can be perceived as a product of this era. It is a well-researched biography.

Negative: For Friedenthal (the author), Marxism is a dogma, which Marx pushes further and further (supposedly because of his 'egocentric, narcissistic personality?'). Strangely enough, this author seems to have a soft spot for Engels – but not for Marx, whom he repeatedly portrays as an authoritarian leader. As Marxists, we would describe this ‘authoritarian’(lol) aspect of Marx as a struggle for clear and correct ideas that are essential in the fight for socialism.

Why does Friedenthal do this? Because he himself does not believe that there are any correct ideas or any correct philosophy (especially not Marxism).
That is why he does not criticize Lassalle for his ideas, but Marx for his aversion to Lassalle's ideas. That is why he does not criticize Bakunin and his analyses, but Marx and his 'naive assumption that Marxism is always right.' This pattern became very tiring after a while. He even goes so far as to accuse Marx of being completely out of touch with reality and having no idea about the conditions of the time, citing as an example the Paris Commune, which Marx “tried in vain to squeeze into his worldview.”

[Dirk Baranek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wurde aus dem Nachlass dieses deutsch-britischen Publizisten posthum 1981 veröffentlicht. Trotzdem ganz großartig. Stilistisch zwar etwas in die Jahre gekommen, aber die Mischung stimmt einfach. Man findet darin

- Biographie Marx: aus Trier nach Berlin, Köln, Paris, Brüssel, Köln, London.
- Philosophiegeschichte 18/19. Jahrhundert: Kant, Hegel, Fourier, Saint-Simon, Proudhon, Chartisten
- Darstellung historischer Umstände: 48er Revolution, Pariser Kommune
- Anekdoten: Treffen mit Heine, Bakunin, Liebknecht, Lasalle, Bebel

Aus allem wird eine gewisse Distanz jedoch auch Sympathie zum "Meister" deutlich. Wem Marx im Original zu sperrig ist und trotzdem mehr wissen will: das hier kann man gut lesen. Die Lehre des historisch-wissenschaftlichen Materialismus wird wiederholt auf den Punkt gebracht. Man versteht: Die Ideen als Abbild der Produktionsverhältnisse, die Geschichte als eine Geschichte der Klassenkämpfe, die Revolution zur Diktatur des Proletariats - in vielem dräuen Stalin und Mao am Horizont...