Das Kapital

Marx Engels Writings and Related Works

R. Saylor, "Behavioral Economics Strikes Back" Summary and Comments - Recommended work to learn what makes behavioral economics different from conventional economics.

Thinking everything rationally, understanding the economy through mathematical formulas, and trying to apply it in practice does not work so well. If it were possible, shouldn't the economy run better? If it doesn't work, then maybe the premise was wrong in the first place.

So you can learn about the author's years of research and the path taken by a group of behavioral economists.

It has given me a very interesting perspective on Marx that I have been updating on my blog. This was a much appreciated piece.
The Industrial Revolution and British and European Society

Henry Mayhew, "The Victorian Era: A Journal of Life in the Alleys of London" - A reportage work on the lives of London's lower classes!

This book closely follows the lives of the lower classes in London during the Victorian era in England, especially in the mid-1800s, and describes what life was like for them. It is as if the book were a novel, and as you read it, you can almost picture in front of your eyes what life was like for these people in London at that time. The abundance of illustrations is also appreciated.
The Industrial Revolution and British and European Society

Masaie Matsumura, "The History of the British Empire Expositions: A Tale of Two Cities, London and Manchester" - A book to learn about the connection between the Expo and Manchester!

The book will be a work that looks at the connections between the London Expo and the Manchester Meiho Expo from a larger perspective, and from there at the connections to Japan.

Manchester is often seen as a disastrous result of the Industrial Revolution, but in fact, the Manchester Expo was also related to the movement to improve the lives of the people.

Marx has been in England since 1849 and, as for Engels, much longer than that. The background to the emergence of their ideas is the social situation in England. I found this book very helpful in understanding such social conditions in England.
The Industrial Revolution and British and European Society

The City and Life of Victorian London in Photographs" - Recommended to learn about London in the late 19th century as seen by Dickens!

The book offers a large number of photographs of London in the mid- to late-19th century.
The book is unique in that it tells the story of the city of London in the context of Dickens, the great 19th century English writer.
The book is a must for Dickens fans, as it explains the relationship between Dickens and his works along with many photographs.
The Industrial Revolution and British and European Society

Carl B. Frey, "A World Economic History of Technology" - Recommended for learning about the history of the Industrial Revolution and its connections to society!

I picked up this book because I wanted to learn about the history of the Industrial Revolution and the history of technology up to the present day in my study of Marx.

In this book, you will learn why the Industrial Revolution took place in England and how society was changed by it.

Marx and Engels theorized that workers would remain poor if mechanization continued.

The authors state that, although such phenomena were observed in their time, the theory was wrong in reality.

This biography is a highly recommended read for those interested in the history of the Industrial Revolution and technology.
Marx Engels Writings and Related Works

The Intellectual Heritage of Humanity 49 Bakunin - A biography recommended to learn about the life of Russian revolutionary Bakunin.

Like Gertzen, whom I mentioned in my last article, I took this book to learn more about Marx and the revolutionaries of his time. Bakunin is another figure that you will find in any Marx biography and in the biography of Dostoevsky.

Bakunin was born into a great Russian aristocratic family. It was surprising to learn that two of Russia's leading revolutionaries of the 19th century were both sons of aristocratic families. Incidentally, Lenin, who played a leading role in the Russian Revolution of 1917, was also born into a noble family.

You will see a strong personality that is just blown away.

I also enjoyed this biography very much. I also recommend this book!
Marx Engels Writings and Related Works

Reading Augustine's "The Kingdom of God: Its Conception and Theology" - What is the Christian Father's philosophy that is also connected to Marx's view of history?

I was very surprised to learn that Augustine's "The Kingdom of God" was related to the barbarian invasion that triggered the fall of the Roman Empire.

And it is very important to note that Augustine refers to history as "the course by which God's eternal plan is realized. This is precisely the connection with Hegel's view of history. Marx is not God, but he is very much influenced by this view of history.

This book shows how Hegel and Marx were influenced by Plato and Augustine. This has been a very interesting read!
Marx Engels Writings and Related Works

Plato's "Socrates' Dialectic Kriton" Synopsis and Impressions - Surprised at the similarities between Master and Disciple Socrates Plato and Master and Disciple Honen and Shinran...

Plato wrote "The State" in reaction to the unjust execution of his respected teacher Socrates.

The work "Socrates' Defense" is about why Socrates had to be executed.

Shinran himself, like Plato, experienced firsthand how his respected teacher had to be unreasonably punished.

In part, Shinran wrote his main work "Kyogyoshinsho" in order to refute such irrationality.

The similarity of the "regret" experienced by Plato and Shinran was a thrill for me.
Marx Engels Writings and Related Works

Plato's "The State" Synopsis and Comments - The prototype of state management by the elite. Managed society had already begun here.

The main reason I wanted to read this book is that his view of the nation was a precursor to utopian thought.

It was very interesting to see how Plato's "The State" had a profound impact on the European psyche, leading to Thomas More's later "Utopia," and from there to the world of the visionary socialists, Marx, Lenin and Stalin.

This book used to frustrate me, but it is totally different when I have a sense of purpose that I have to read it now.

This reading made me realize that "having a purpose" is a good spice in reading.
Marx Engels Writings and Related Works

Utopian Socialist Fourier and Dostoevsky - Why was Dostoevsky attracted to Fourier?

This article will consider the connection between the fantastical socialist Fourier and Dostoevsky.

Here are three points that I thought "this is it".

1 Fourier's aesthetic sense and Claude Lorrain

2 Fourier's almost insane capacity for compassion

3 Fourier's writing talent - overwhelming ability to describe Phalanges (Utopia)

I felt that these may have been the background to Dostoevsky's love affair with Fourier.

I also find it very interesting that Dostoevsky and other Russian youth saw Fourierian thought as an extension of Christianity.