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Cover of Landmarks of Scientific Socialism: "Anti-Duehring"

Landmarks of Scientific Socialism: "Anti-Duehring"

Written by Friedrich Engels

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PhilosophySocialismEconomicsDialectical materialismDühring, E. (Eugen), 1833-1921

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About this book

"Landmarks of Scientific Socialism: 'Anti-Duehring'" by Friedrich Engels is a critical philosophical work written in the late 19th century. The text primarily targets the socialist theories proposed by Eugen Duehring, showcasing Engels's philosophical rebuttals while outlining his and Karl Marx's materialistic philosophy. The work serves as an exploration of the fundamental tenets of socialism, economics, and dialectical materialism, as Engels critiques the idealism and perceived weaknesses in Duehring's arguments. The beginning of "Anti-Duehring" introduces readers to the rise of socialism and critiques Duehring’s self-proclaimed intellectual authority within the socialist movement. Engels presents the historical context of socialism's evolution in Europe and emphasizes how economic and social conditions have spurred a collective movement toward socialist ideals. Through a detailed examination, he aims to dismantle Duehring's simplistic philosophical notions and set forth a more scientifically grounded understanding of socialism, reflecting on broader implications like class struggle and economic dynamics in society. This opening segment sets the stage for Engels's ambitions of providing a more rigorous framework for socialist thought, challenging the absolute truths championed by figures like Duehring.

Reading guide

Themes, characters and key ideas in Landmarks of Scientific Socialism: "Anti-Duehring", written by Chaptra AI.

  • about 20 hours
  • advanced
  • Intellectual
  • Polemical
  • Didactic

Engels's "Anti-Duehring" is a foundational text of Marxist theory, systematically refuting the eclectic socialist ideas of Eugen Duehring across philosophy, political economy, and socialism. Through this comprehensive polemical critique, Engels meticulously outlines and defends the core tenets of dialectical and historical materialism, scientific socialism, and Marxist economics. The work establishes a rigorous philosophical framework for understanding societal development, class struggle, and the inevitable transition to communism, solidifying its place as a crucial exposition and popularization of the Marxist worldview.

“Freedom is the recognition of necessity.”

Key themes

Dialectical Materialism
This is the core philosophical framework underpinning all of Engels's arguments. It posits that reality is fundamentally material and in constant motion and change, driven by internal contradictions. Engels applies this to nature, history, and thought, countering Duehring's static, metaphysical worldview by demonstrating how phenomena evolve through the unity and struggle of opposites, the transformation of quantity into quality, and the negation of the negation.
Historical Materialism
The application of dialectical materialism to human history and society. It argues that the primary determinant of historical development is the material conditions of existence, particularly the mode of production, which shapes social relations, institutions, and consciousness. Class struggle, arising from these material conditions, is presented as the engine of this historical change, driving society from one stage to the next.
Critique of Idealism and Metaphysics
A central and pervasive theme, this involves the systematic dismantling of idealist philosophical positions, especially those championed by Duehring. Engels argues that idealism, which prioritizes ideas, consciousness, or abstract principles over material reality, leads to static, unscientific, and ultimately flawed understandings of the world and society. He advocates for a materialist approach that grounds thought and knowledge in concrete, observable reality and its historical development.

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To what extent is 'scientific socialism' truly 'scientific' in a modern understanding of the term?

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