Marx without Myths: An Edited Historical Study of His Life and Writings - The best way to understand what Marx was referring to!

Summary and Comments on "Marx without Myths: An Edited Historical Study of His Life and Writings" - A great way to see what Marx was referring to!

We are pleased to present "Marx without Myths: An Edited Historical Study of His Life and Writings" by Maximilian Lubell and Margaret Maneil, translated by Fumiyuki Tsunoda, published in 2021 by Gendai Shicho Shinsha.

Let's take a quick look at the book.

Marx was furious. I am not a 'Marxist.'" In the turbulent 19th century, which was interrupted by the Revolution of 1848 and the Paris Commune. Despite illness, poverty, and a busy schedule of writing articles, Marx founded the International Workingmen's Association to achieve "workers' self-emancipation" and produced immortal theoretical achievements in the course of his life. This is the groundbreaking Marx chronicle of Lubell, the inimitable Marx scholar who, while participating in the anti-Nazi resistance in France, remained independent of any party and fought throughout his life against Stalinism with its "orthodox Marxism".

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This work is about Marx mythologized by a particular ideology and, conversely, Marx demonized by criticism from a camp that is hostile to it.is notIt is a biography that attempts to clarify what Marx is.

What I appreciate about this book is that it explains in detail what Marx's influences were and what kind of research he did in reference to them.

Moreover, it is listed in chronological order, which is very helpful in Marx research. Thanks to this work, I can refer to what I am going to read in the future.

This was very interesting to me because Marx was famous for being a voracious reader and student, and it is easy to see what he was reading.

One of the most interesting things to me was Marx's fondness for Dickens' novels.

Dickens was another writer who focused on the poverty of workers and children in London during the Industrial Revolution.

Especially his masterpieceOliver Twist."In the 1960s, he depicted the misery of poverty, and his work had such an impact on society that there was actually a movement to improve the conditions of people throughout England.

Marx may have been attracted to Dickens, who fought poverty in the world with the power of his pen and actually moved society.

The translator's afterword to the book states the following

This book is a complete translation of Maximilien Rubel and Margaret Manale, Marx Without Myth:A Chronological study of his Iife and work: Basil Blackwell:Oxford, 1975.

As the original English title of the book is Marx Without Myth, the purpose of this book is to expose the mystification and mythologization of Marx himself and his thought, and thereby present the real image of Marx "without myth" (without mythology). However, the intentions of this book, especially those of the author Lubell, are not limited to that. The intention of this book is to thoroughly criticize the extreme mystification and mythologization of the things of the world by human social illusions and consciousness, such as a sense of power and discrimination.

Gendai Shichoshinsha, Maximilian Lubell and Margaret Maneil, translated by Fumiyuki Tsunoda, Marx without Myths: An Edited Historical Study of His Life and Works, p. 535

Since we are here, let us also listen to the author's own words. It will make the author's position very clear, so I will quote it, although it will be a bit long.

Karl Marx was silenced during his lifetime. After his death, he became the subject of mythology as a hero, and suffered further damage. This mythologization has done more damage to Marx's life achievements than the silent treatment that his contemporaries seem to have conspired to inflict on him.

Marx himself, who was the first to understand ideological mythologizing in legal terms, was targeted for mythologizing by those of the school he created. Sometimes comicalized, sometimes heroically exaggerated as if he were an intellectual monster, Marx's character is constantly caricatured.

Marx's words have been interpreted as prophetic statements of an omniscient oracle and used to justify both good and bad deeds by the leadership class of modern social movements that seek to evade their own responsibility.

The doctrine that Marx had intended as an intellectual instrument for the workers' liberation struggle has been transformed into a political ideology that justifies material exploitation and spiritual slavery. The concept of the dictatorship of the proletariat, which Marx envisioned as democratic rule by the overwhelming majority for the overwhelming majority, has been particularly perverted into an ideology that justifies the exploitation and oppression of social groups (or classes) and even the destruction of basic human rights. It has become an ideology that justifies exploitation and oppression of social groups (or classes) and even the destruction of basic human rights.

In today's world, inhumane social relations, such as existed in feudal and pre-capitalist societies, are even legitimized in the name of "Marxist socialism. Proletarian self-emancipation through class struggle, which had been the highest ethical principle, was turned into a code of conduct for the new elites - the "Marxist" politicians. In so doing, Marx was completely mythologized, and the intellectual and moral growth of the masses, whom Marx sought to support in his writings and in his political campaigns, was also stymied.

With access to modern science and technology that could lead to the destruction of the entire human race, these new elites have become both partners and rivals of the "imperialist state," and their common goal is to maintain and expand their control over each other. Modern history is no longer a history of class struggle, as the "Communist Manifesto" (Communist Manifesto) preached, but of a worldwide struggle, planned and carried out in defense of values that are considered "ethical," "human," and "religious.

Because Marx's legacy has been perverted in this way, both spiritually and theoretically, this chronicle [this book] aims to defend Marx without myths. Primarily, it refutes the myths and misconceptions that have spread throughout the world by describing the human Marx, who was a revolutionary thinker and fighter. The most important point will be the episodes and events in Marx's life that represent his sole goal: the emancipation of all mankind through the conscious activity of a few social groups that were materially poor but had the greatest potential to become spiritually rich. In order to accurately portray Marx's central motivation, we felt it necessary to carefully choose what to focus on, and some matters that would have been important in other contexts were either dared not be mentioned here or were omitted.
*Lines have been changed as appropriate.

Gendai Shichoshinsha, Maximilian Lubell and Margaret Maneil, translated by Fumiyuki Tsunoda, Marx without Myths: An Edited Historical Study of His Life and Writings, p. 8-9

The author then summarizes as follows

The intention of this chronicle [this book] is not to replace the definitive biography of Marx that will eventually be written, but to lay the groundwork for that biography and to destroy the legendary image of the author of Capitalism. Readers are asked to bear in mind that if we complain about the lack of anecdotal details that would normally be included in a biography, we dare not put them in. It allowed us to concentrate on the actual selections, especially Marx's works and correspondence.

The book divides Marx's life into six periods, introducing each and touching lightly on historical events of the time. By outlining Marx's basic intellectual contributions to economic theory and social analysis, based on his works written before 1867 and his (sometimes very detailed) letters to Engels and others, he avoids quoting directly from Capital. The book is a forum for Marx's own statements about his troubled and intense life, his goals and intentions, and his motivations for action, and it attempts to convey the human and scientific rationale behind Marx's social theory, even if only briefly. It emphasizes the dual nature of Marx's theory: its logical and critical grasp of economic relations and its theoretical and practical elucidation of the revolutionary social problems that continually arise in contemporary society, which are inseparable from them.

Even though the revolutionary maturation of the working class has not kept pace with the expansion of the capitalist system as Marx had hoped and envisioned, the options that remain as that capitalist system declines are gradually becoming more serious. If humanity does not accept a social order based on reason on a global scale, it will gradually descend into a state of savage chaos with gradual self-destruction. The responsibility for this deadly dilemma lies with all of us. Only the individual decisions of the majority of people can prevent the inhumanity of the past and create a rational utopia that will allow humanity to survive and realize an era of universal self-determination.
Some line breaks have been made.

Gendai Shichoshinsha, Maximilian Lubell and Margaret Maneil, translated by Fumiyuki Tsunoda, Marx without Myths: An Edited Historical Study of His Life and Writings, p. 13-14.

I think this last part is particularly important.

Unless humanity embraces a social order based on reason on a global scale, it will slowly descend into a state of savage chaos with gradual self-destruction."

It will "create a rational utopia that will allow humanity to survive and bring about an era of universal self-determination."

The author seems to consider Marxism as such.

The real Marxism is completely different from such a Marxism, and Marx is needed now more than ever in the present age.

Let's also take a look at the author's profile here.

Maximilian Lubell.
Born in 1905 in Chervitz, Austria-Hungary. He fought in the Resistance in German-occupied France, where he began his Marxist studies. After the war, he worked at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and edited "Studies in Marxism.

Margaret Maneil.
Assistant to Prof. Lubell, engaged in Marxist studies at the Sorbonne

From "Marx without Myths: An Edited Historical Study of His Life and Writings," by Maximilian Lubell and Margaret Maneil, translated by Fumiyuki Tsunoda, Gendai Shichoshinsha, Inc.

I was surprised to see the profile of Maximilian Lubell, who died in 1996. This book itself was published in 1976 and translated in 2021, so it does not seem to be the most up-to-date Marxist book, but the fact that it was published in Japan now may have been judged that the timing was beneficial for Marxist studies.

Marx-related books seem to be selling well in Japan these days. It seems that the economic recession and the Corona disaster have made it easier for Marx to emerge.

Most of the Marx commentaries that have come out in this way have said, "Marx has been understood wrongly so far. The true Marx image is completely different. Now is the time for true Marxism to save the world.

I think we can say that this book is one of those genealogies.

As the title of the book, Marx Without Myths: An Arranged Historical Study of His Life and Writings, suggests, the book is more an edited history than a biography.

I honestly do not recommend this book to those who are looking for an interesting narrative biography. That is what the author himself has stated. I had a bit of a hard time reading it myself, but it is a very useful work to learn what Marx referred to in formulating his own ideas.

I would recommend this book as a reference for a deeper study of Marx.

This is "Marx without Myths: An Edited Historical Study of His Life and Writings," the best way to know what Marx was referring to! was "Marx without Myths: An Editorial Historical Study of His Life and Writings".

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