Garantien der Harmonie und Freiheit. - [THE FIRST REAL BIBLE OF COMMUNISM]

"WEITLING, WILHELM.

Beschreibung

Vivis, 1842. 8vo. Contemporary modest half cloth with marbled paper over boards. Wear to extremities. Old owner's name to title-page. Occasional brownspotting. XII, (2), 264 pp. Rare first edition of one of the greatest works of communism, Weitling's extremely influential main work, which came to be known as "the debut of the German workers" (Marx). Published a full six years before "The Communist Manifesto", Weitling's "Guarantees of Harmony and Freedom" arguably constitutes the foundational work of Communism, and it is not by chance that Engels names Weitling "The founder of German Communism" (Engels 1975 [1843], p. 402) and Marx characterizes this work as the "brilliant debut of the German workers" and the "gigantic first steps of the proletariat". Considered the first real Communist, Weitling was a communist before both Marx and Engels. He was the founder of the League of the Just (Bund der Gerechten - really the first international communist organisation with branches in Germany, France, Switzerland, Hungary and Scandinavia) that Marx and Engels joined and turned into the Communist League and signatory to early statements by the executive of the First International. Having been so admired by Marx and Engels after the publication of the present magnum opus, he later fell out with them after a struggle in 1846-47, over the party programme for the League of the Just, which he had co-founded. Marx, of course, won the struggle, and the Communist Manifesto as written - not a party programme dictating direct and violent overthrow of the state and the immediate establishment of communism."The League of the Just after the debacle of May, 1839, ceased to exist as a central organisation. At any rate, no traces of its existence or its activity as a central organisation are found after 1840. There remained only independent circles organised by ex-members of the League. One of these circles was organised in London. Other members of the League of the Just fled to Switzerland, the most influential among them being Wilhelm Weitling (1809-1864). A tailor by trade, one of the first German revolutionists from among the artisan proletariat, Weitling, like many other German artisans of the time, peregrinated from town to town. In 1835 he found himself in Paris, but it was in 1837 that he settled there for long. In Paris he became a member of the League of the Just and familiarized himself with the teachings of Hugues Lamennais, the protagonist of Christian socialism, of Saint-Simon and Fourier. There he also met Blanqui and his followers.In Switzerland Weitling and some friends, after an unsuccessful attempt to propagandise the Swiss, began to organise circles among the German workers and the emigrants. In 1842 he published his chief work, "Guarantees of Harmony and Freedom".Influenced by Blanqui, Weitling's ideas differed from those of other contemporary utopians, in that he did not believe in a peaceful transition into communism. The new society, a very detailed plan of which was worked out by him, could only be realised through the use of force. The sooner existing society is abolished, the sooner will the people be freed. The best method is to bring the existing social disorder to the last extreme. The worse, the better! The most trustworthy revolutionary element which could be relied upon to wreck present society was, according to Weitling, the lowest grade proletariat, the "lumpenproletariat", including even the robbers. It was in Switzerland, too, that Michael Bakunin (1811-1876) met Weitling and absorbed some of his ideas. Owing to the arrest and the judicial prosecution started against Weitling and his followers, Bakunin was compromised and forever became an exile from his own country. After a term in prison, Weitling was extradited to Germany in 1841. Following a period of wandering, he finally landed in London where his arrival was joyously celebrated. A large mass meeting was arranged in his honour. English socialists and Chartists. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 56351

Bibliografische Details

Titel: Garantien der Harmonie und Freiheit. - [THE ...

Einband: Hardcover

Auflage: 1. Auflage