Yuan Qun and Wang Enming: Foreign Left-wing Commemorations and Reflections on the 200th Anniversary of Engels' Birth
Friedrich Engels was the greatest revolutionist, thinker, theorist, and leader in the international communist movement of the second half of the 19th century following Karl Marx. Throughout his seventy-five-year life and half-century-long revolutionary career, he co-founded, enriched, and developed Marxism, guided the course of the international workers' movement, and made indelible historical contributions to the world socialist movement as it sought breakthroughs while upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. However, since the death of Marx in 1883, controversies regarding Engels—especially his later thought—have persisted. On the 200th anniversary of Engels' birth, the world is facing great changes unseen in a century [1], and the world socialist movement is at an important historical turning point, transitioning from gradually emerging from a low ebb toward revitalization. Against this periodic backdrop, foreign leftist parties, organizations, and scholars held various online and offline activities to solemnly commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Engels, the great mentor of the world’s proletariat and working people. They comprehensively reviewed Engels’ revolutionary life of struggle, spoke highly of his major contributions to founding, upholding, and developing Marxism, as well as his role in guiding the international workers' movement and pushing the world socialist movement forward. They profoundly interpreted the contemporary significance and value of Engels’ theoretical works and used this opportunity to propagate the basic theories of Marxism and clarify the theoretical ideas and programmatic propositions of their respective parties.
I. Foreign Leftists Solemnly Commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Engels’ Birth
The year 2020 coincided with the 200th anniversary of Engels’ birth. This anniversary holds great historical significance for disciplines such as the history of Marxist development, scientific socialism, the international communist movement, and foreign Marxist studies. Since the second half of 2020, foreign leftist parties, organizations, and scholars have taken action, creating a series of climaxes in the commemoration of Engels’ bicentenary through various forms.
(1) Organizing Commemorative Seminars and Conferences On September 27, 2020, the Portuguese Communist Party held a conference in Lisbon titled "Engels and Today’s Struggle for Socialism" to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Engels’ birth, where General Secretary Jerónimo de Sousa delivered a speech. On November 26, various sectors in Laos convened an academic seminar at the National Academy of Politics and Public Administration titled "Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of Engels’ Birth and Engels’ Theory and the Lao Renovation and Opening-up" [2]. On November 27, the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, in collaboration with the Propaganda and Education Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Central Theoretical Council, and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, held a scientific seminar in Hanoi titled "Engels’ Ideological Legacy: New Contemporary Values and Vitality." On the same day, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation held a webinar featuring representatives from leftist parties, including the leader of the Die Linke (The Left) parliamentary group in the German Bundestag and the head of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (affiliated with the Social Democratic Party of Germany), who delivered keynote reports. On November 28, the Keio Economic Society in Japan held an online academic seminar on "Engels’ Contribution to Marxism and Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of Engels’ Birth," attended by over 40 scholars from Japan and China. Additionally, the German Communist Party (DKP) held online commemorative activities and video conferences with the Communist Party of Britain and the Communist Party of the Donetsk People's Republic, respectively.
(2) Issuing Commemorative Manifestos and Statements On November 27, 2020, five Marxist-Leninist-Maoist parties, including the Communist Workers Union (Colombia) and the Maoist Communist Party (Italy), jointly issued a statement: "Joint Statement Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Engels: Long Live Engels! Long Live Marxism-Leninism-Maoism!" The statement summarized Engels’ great achievements for the development of human civilization and the revolutionary struggle of the proletariat, emphasizing that honor and glory belong to the great mentor of the world proletariat, Friedrich Engels, and calling for communists, the proletariat, and oppressed peoples everywhere to unite in proletarian internationalism. On November 28, the Communist Party of the Philippines issued a "Statement on the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Friedrich Engels," emphasizing the cherishing of Engels’ proletarian theory and revolutionary political legacy and advancing along the path of the New Democratic and socialist revolutions. On November 29, eleven Marxist-Leninist-Maoist parties and organizations, including the Communist Party of Peru, the Committee to Reconstruct the Communist Party of Austria (Maoist), and the Maoist Committee of Finland, jointly signed an international manifesto commemorating the 200th anniversary of Engels’ birth. From the perspectives of "the eternal united struggle between Marx and Engels, Engels’ contribution as a co-founder of Marxism, and Engels’ legacy," the manifesto reviewed Engels’ intellectual journey and the great friendship between Marx and Engels, and explored in depth Engels’ unique contributions to Marxism and the contemporary significance of his thought.
(3) Penning Commemorative Articles On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Engels’ birth, foreign leftists wrote commemorative articles to express their remembrance and mourning for the great revolutionary mentor. Representative works include: "The Three Great Merits of Engels" by Gennady Zyuganov, Chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF), published in Pravda; "Engels—An Exemplary Theorist Inseparable from Marx" in the Communist Party of India (Maoist) publication People’s March; "Engels and Women's Liberation" by Brinda Karat, member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist); "The Ragged Philanthropist: Friedrich Engels’ The Condition of the Working Class in England" by Pakistani social scientist Raza Naeem; "Engels and Marriage" and "Friedrich Engels and the Poetic Sculpture of his Partner Mary Burns" by Jenny Farrell, columnist for the Communist Party of Ireland’s paper Unity; "Friedrich Engels is More Important on His 200th Birthday" by Marcello Musto, Associate Professor of Political Science at York University, Canada; "Engels’ Pause and the Condition of the Working Class in England" by Michael Roberts; "Three Questions on Reading Engels and Why" by Indian leftist scholar Prabir Purkayastha; "The Life and Thought of Friedrich Engels" by Adam Booth; "Great Scientist, Great Teacher" by Dmitry Novikov, Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee of the KPRF; "Engels Against Reformism in Germany and France" by historian Doug Enaa Greene; "The Thought Leader," "In Engels' Footsteps," and "Presenting the Truth" published on the official website of the DKP newspaper; "Engels at 200: Intellectual Giant and Rebel" by Thomas Riggins; and the article titled "Continuing to Inherit, Innovate, and Carry Forward Engels’ Great Ideological Legacy" published in Nhan Dan (The People), the organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
(4) Other Commemorative Activities The Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany (MLPD) held political meetings in 11 cities across Germany and hosted the premiere of the new film Friedrich Engels—The Most Underrated Classic. Engels' hometown of Wuppertal (formed in 1929 by the merger of Barmen and other towns) declared 2020 as the "Year of Engels," not only reopening the Engels House (Engels-Haus) but also launching a dedicated website (www.engels2020.de) and holding an unveiling ceremony for a statue of Engels. The official website of the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist), the American leftist website "Struggle for Socialism," and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) central organ People's Democracy also specifically republished the commemorative article titled "Friedrich Engels" written by Lenin in September 1895. The CPB (M-L) stated that to recognize Engels' enormous contribution to the cause of the working class and to commemorate and disseminate the revolutionary content of his genius ideas, every worker should be familiar with the name and contributions of this great revolutionary fighter and proletarian mentor. People's Democracy also published a detailed chronology recording Engels' life, works, and major events. The DKP newspaper Unsere Zeit (Our Time) published a letter written to Engels by a German communist, in which the author described in simple terms Engels' subtle influence on them and narrated their journey from an impulsive youth to a revolutionary fighter. The American leftist organization "Political Movements" (Politsturm) continuously published Engels' quotes in poster form on its official website. Furthermore, in conjunction with COVID-19 prevention and control measures, several leftist organizations, including the DKP, held commemorative demonstrations and marches in Wuppertal. Representatives from the DKP and the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) laid flowers at the statue of Engels in Wuppertal, which was presented by the Chinese government in 2014. In Moscow, representatives of communists, Komsomol members, and their supporters from across Russia also laid baskets of flowers at the Monument to Friedrich Engels.
Additionally, websites of institutions and organizations such as the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party USA, the Communist Party of Brazil, the Communist Party of Austria, the Paraguayan Communist Party, the Party for Socialism and Liberation (USA), the Friedrich Engels Union (Germany), the International Committee of the Fourth International, and the League for the Fifth International; publications such as Socialist Voice, the PCP central organ Avante!, the Communist Party of Ireland central organ Socialist Voice, and the CPUSA central organ People's World; as well as Western leftist journals and magazines such as Jacobin, Monthly Review, and New Left Review; and numerous leftist websites including SolidNet, Defense of Communism, Marxists.org, Left Voice, Against the Current, Peoples Dispatch, the World Socialist Web Site, Maoist Road, and New Era Media—all published a series of commemorative articles by leftist parties, organizations, and scholars themed around the 200th anniversary of Engels’ birth, while providing continuous news coverage.
II. Fully Affirming Engels’ Noble Historical Status as the Irreplaceable "Second Fiddle"
Together with Marx, Engels achieved a high degree of unity between thinker and revolutionist in practice. As a classic Marxist author, Engels co-founded Marxism and scientific socialism with Marx; as a great mentor of the proletariat, Engels co-guided the world workers' movement and the international communist movement with Marx. Foreign leftist parties, organizations, and scholars have taken a clear-cut stand against historical nihilism [3]. Centered on Engels’ classic works and international socialist alliances, they highly praised Engels’ important historical contributions and profound international influence from the perspectives of theoretical contribution, practical struggle, and spiritual qualities.
(1) Engels’ Status as a Co-founder of Marxism and Scientific Socialism is Shaky-proof Major German media outlets published articles commemorating the 200th anniversary of Engels’ birth. Die Zeit described Engels as "one of the most influential and multifaceted thinkers of the 19th century, a theorist and practitioner of proletarian revolution, one of the earliest sociologists, and an outstanding journalist." Süddeutsche Zeitung stated that Engels changed the course of history through his writing. Deutschlandfunk published an article stating that Engels lived a "double life"—he was both an entrepreneur and a philosopher, communist, and revolutionist. "Engels provided financial and intellectual support to Karl Marx, and their friendship profoundly influenced him. Together with Marx, he wrote one of the most influential texts in history." As Werner Plumpe, a historian at Frankfurt University, put it: "Without Friedrich Engels, most of Karl Marx's works might never have seen the light of day." Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of the CPI (M)...
) expressed agreement with this, arguing that "after Marx's death, the international working class and the people of the world came to know the rich works and theoretical foundations of Marxism primarily through Engels." He continued, "It is clear that in almost every field of human activity and life, Engels made pioneering contributions, either independently or together with Marx. Engels's discourse on the dialectics of man and nature, covering fields from the natural sciences, anthropology, and history to political economy and philosophy, made prominent contributions to the development of the revolutionary movement and its theoretical basis. Moreover, it must be emphasized that every work completed by Marx and Engels, whether jointly or independently, was enriched by their mutual discussions." Ariane Diaz, a member of the Socialist Workers' Party of Argentina, stated in her article Engels at 200: Engels is Still Alive that "Engels's theoretical work was able to broaden the battlefield of Marxism, entering fields in which Marx did not participate, or more accurately, the works of Marx's friend provided him with nourishment." Rob Sewell, editor-in-chief of Socialist Appeal, emphasized: "Although Marxism is named after Marx, we should never forget the important contributions made by Engels and the organic connection between their life paths. Undoubtedly, Engels was an encyclopedic thinker and polymath; his theories covered fields such as philosophy, economics, history, physics, linguistics, and military science. His knowledge of military theory earned him the title of 'The General'." [4]
2. The historical contributions of Engels in guiding the world workers' movement and the international communist movement cannot be erased
Mahir Ali, a columnist for Pakistan's Dawn, pointed out in the article Marx's Deputy that "there, he is regarded as a great sage of European socialism, particularly influential in leading the process of German Social Democracy. Compared to Marx, he is more closely associated with terms such as 'dialectical materialism' and 'scientific socialism'." Stanislav Grospič, Chairman of the Association of Trade Unions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia, emphasized that as one of the most influential revolutionary thinkers, although Engels spent most of his life in the shadow of his friend and collaborator Karl Marx, he remained a great theorist and revolutionary activist. "Thanks to Anti-Dühring, Socialism: Utopian and Scientific, The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, and other works, he became one of the most influential and thorough revolutionaries." Les Doherty, Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain’s Manchester Area, noted while participating in an online commemoration organized by the Chinese Consulate-General in Manchester: "Engels went deep into the slums many times to understand the living conditions of the working class, wrote the profoundly influential The Condition of the Working Class in England, and together with Marx, conceived and completed classic works such as the Communist Manifesto. The contributions Engels made to developing Marxism and promoting the progress of human history are invaluable and should be recognized by more people." Walter Smolarek, a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation in the US, cited Engels's thesis from Dialectics of Nature on "the part played by labor in the transition from ape to man" and pointed out that "besides the key documents co-authored with Marx, Engels's writings have similarly stood the test of time, becoming a fundamental guide for generations of revolutionaries who hope to understand and transform the world. In all his works, such as Dialectics of Nature, Engels showed a foresight capable of identifying the most important laws and trends affecting the process of human social development. Today, on the 200th anniversary of his birth, Engels remains a figure in the history of the socialist struggle who is difficult to surpass." The Communist Workers' League (Colombia) emphasized: "As a passionate revolutionary fighter, Engels was a staunch defender of proletarian interests, a fierce critic of false socialism, the finest supporter and tireless mentor of the working class; he always maintained close ties of friendship with the working class, and people of many nations looked to Engels for guidance and support."
3. Engels's commitment to the original aspiration and founding mission and his sense of responsibility for the liberation of the proletariat and all humanity deserve praise
The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) highly evaluated Engels's great character and qualities, praising the "sincere friendship and comradeship between Engels and Marx." They believe that "Engels's revolutionary spirit, work perseverance, modest character, and spirit of cooperation in the revolutionary struggle have become a brilliant example," noting that "for the CPV, the working class, and laborers in Vietnam, as well as for the working class and laborers worldwide, Engels's life, career, noble character, and excellent style of work have always been a major driving force for the revolution." Gennady Zyuganov, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, believes that Engels's primary moral achievement and merit was that, while it was entirely possible for him to achieve success in the world of capitalist exploitation from birth, he transcended class interests and abandoned social conventions intellectually and spiritually at the cost of personal happiness. Compared to capitalist personal happiness, he preferred to stand with the highest humanistic values—justice, equality, and solidarity. The Communist Party of India (Maoist) further pointed out that Engels, though of bourgeois origin, chose the philosophy of the working class, stood with the working class against industrial capitalists, and provided the working class with the ideological weapons needed to change their lives.
III. High evaluation of the global significance of Engels and his theoretical works
As the co-founders of Marxism and scientific socialism, Engels not only co-authored and independently wrote numerous classic works, but also spent massive energy between 1883 and 1895 organizing and publishing Marx's posthumous works, thereby leaving his own theoretical imprint. The foreign Left highly evaluates Engels's and his works' role in upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground in Marxist philosophy, his major contributions to Marxist political economy, his inheritance and development of scientific socialism, and his laying of the foundation for proletarian military science.
(1) Engels's upholding of fundamentals and breaking new ground in Marxist philosophy
Hiroyoshi Makino, Professor Emeritus at Hannan University, in his report Engels's Contribution to Marx's Philosophy, explained Engels's important contributions to scientific socialism, materialist dialectics, and Marxist philosophy from the perspectives of the relationship between Marx and Engels, the "second violin" as the prelude to the "first violin," the ensemble of the first and second violins, and the independence (variation) of the second violin—as seen in Anti-Dühring, Dialectics of Nature, and Ludwig Feuerbach and the End of Classical German Philosophy. Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), pointed out: "The theoretical contributions made by Engels in the evolution and elaboration of the Marxist worldview are of extremely important significance for understanding the unfolding of dialectics and the discovery of the laws governing all matter in the universe, the development and evolution of life, and the development of human society. While commemorating his life and thought, people usually re-examine these contributions of Engels and the profound influence they have had on human thought, wisdom, and the progress of civilization." An editorial in Nhan Dan (The People), the official organ of the CPV Central Committee, pointed out: "Engels and Marx protected and developed materialist philosophy, realized innovations in dialectical materialism, established a fundamental turning point for philosophy, and provided a brand-new perspective and accurate method for explaining, understanding, and transforming the world. Historical materialism is a great achievement of scientific thought, discovering the laws of social development and the necessity of transitioning from one socio-economic system to a higher one."
(2) Engels's major contributions to Marxist political economy
Tristram Hunt, Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum and former Shadow Education Secretary for the Labour Party, pointed out: "Engels is a figure of profound historical and philosophical significance. He not only played a role in shaping 20th-century Marxism, but his views on socialism, compared to Marx's pure political economy, are more relevant to our contemporary era. Similarly, through his early analysis of imperialism as a core component of Western capitalism, Engels pioneered the Marxist conception of colonial liberation." Sitaram Yechury believes that Engels's Outlines of a Critique of Political Economy, published in 1844, laid down the basic principles for the critique of bourgeois political economy, arguing that "Engels demonstrated that all important phenomena in the bourgeois economic system inevitably arise from the private ownership of the means of production, and a society without poverty can only be a society without private ownership of the means of production," which had an important influence on Marx. The editorial in Nhan Dan noted: "Engels and Marx relied on classical political economy to create a new economic theory, bringing historical changes to political economy; by studying and discovering the law of surplus value, Engels and Marx identified the capitalist mode of exploitation and provided the scientific demonstration for the necessary demise of capitalism and the victory of communism."
(3) Engels's inheritance and development of scientific socialism
Shozo Iwanaga, a professor at Kyushu University, in his report titled Examining Engels's "The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State" from Ancient Japanese Historiography, explained from a historical perspective the theories on the formation of the state through opposites in classical theory, the formation of state apparatuses in East Asian countries, the changes in kinship structures and the formation of the state, and the handling of society and transitional periods in early stages of state development. This demonstrated the important significance of this classic work. Sumanasiri Liyanage, a retired professor of political economy at the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka, wrote: "Engels's contribution to Marxism can be embodied under four interrelated headings: the development of historical realism and its application in actual historical events; the development and defense of dialectical realism; the link between the family, private property, and the Marxist theory of the state; and the contribution to eco-communism." The Nhan Dan editorial pointed out: "Engels and Marx analyzed capitalism to discover its laws of motion and development; they affirmed class struggle as the driving force for the development of class societies and pointed out that the working class led by the Communist Party is the only force capable of building a new society. Therefore, the socialist view of Marx and Engels is scientific socialism."
(4) Engels's laying of the foundation for proletarian military science
The Nhan Dan editorial emphasized that the sum of Engels's thoughts, together with Marx, provided humanity with the key to opening the door to the New Era. Marxism-Leninism, including Engels's thought, is identified as the ideological basis of the Vietnamese revolution and has been flexibly applied by President Ho Chi Minh and the CPV to successfully complete the tasks of national liberation, national unification, and comprehensively promoting Reform (Renovating/Doi Moi) toward a socialist orientation. In past struggles for independence and the current defense of the country, Engels's military thoughts and theories have had a huge impact on the CPV's views on establishing a national defense front of the whole people, the line of people's war, and the people's armed forces. They have helped the CPV analyze and grasp the causes, essence, and nature of war, and assisted in resolving the relationship between humans and weapons, affirming the role of the people and the political spirit in war.
Mahir Ali pointed out in Marx's Deputy: "It would be more accurate to view him as a complementary intellectual who was more active than Marx in fields such as natural science and military strategy, and left many substantial results closely related to them. Although it is not inaccurate to see him as Marx's deputy, it is worth remembering that due to his military expertise and active participation in the 1848 revolution, he was affectionately called 'The General' by his close relatives and loved ones, including the Marx family."
IV. Deeply interpreting the contemporary value and guiding significance of Engels’s thought
As a great achievement in the history of human thought, the Marxist theory co-founded by Engels and Marx, once born...
“Like a magnificent sunrise, illuminating the path for humanity to explore the laws of history and seek its own liberation.” For over a century, various arguments—represented by the “theory of opposition between Marx and Engels,” the claim that “in his later years Engels abandoned proletarian revolution and the dictatorship of the proletariat, abandoned communist theory, and advocated the parliamentary road, thereby degenerating into a social democrat,” the “theory of opposition between the young and old Engels,” and the “theory of Engels's late-period self-negation”—have frequently appeared in different guises. These arguments attempt to deny, attack, slander, and spread rumors against the scientific and truthful nature of Engels and his thought through politicization, labeling, and stigmatization. In response, the foreign Left recognizes and resolutely defends the status of Engels's thought, noting that “his importance is reflected not only in the development of Marxism but also in the contemporary thematic relevance of his revolutionary ideas,” believing that Engels's intellectual legacy still possesses practical guiding significance today.
(1) Engels's thought remains the theoretical weapon for the working class to overthrow the old capitalist world and lead toward a new communist world.
The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) affirmed: “Engels's ideological and theoretical legacy has become a guiding light [5] in the struggle for peace, national independence, democracy, and socialism”; “Engels's ideas on philosophy, political economy, and scientific socialism remain real-time and are of great significance to our country’s cause of Doi Moi [6]. This involves understanding and clarifying the necessary laws of development for the Vietnamese revolution based on accepting and inheriting the achievements of science and technology attained by humanity during the capitalist period, while bypassing capitalism toward socialism; it also helps in more fully realizing the relationship between revolutionary goals and modes of economic development.” Rob Sewell, editor-in-chief of Socialist Appeal, argued: “There is no doubt that Engels's revolutionary spirit continues to live on in the Marxist tendency that defends his intellectual legacy and fights for world socialism.” The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) further pointed out: “We should be proud of following the ideas of Marx and Engels and realize that we bear a special responsibility for this. This responsibility urges us to maintain principle and fearlessness in the process of struggling for communism, thereby creatively mastering the rich scientific ideas left by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. They not only left us outstanding scientific results and political achievements but also set the highest example of moral strength and spirit of sacrifice.”
The New Communist Party of the Netherlands and its led General Dutch Youth League (CJB) stated in a joint declaration: “Engels made fundamental contributions to Marxist theory in areas such as dialectical materialist philosophy, Marxist political economy, and the revolutionary tactics of class struggle. Many of his works continue to inspire people worldwide to struggle for a better society and provide essential guidance for this struggle.” They added, “The insights of Engels and Marx remain of great significance today and provide guidance for everyone struggling for a better communist society, as they refuse to accept current capitalist relations of production and the uncertainty, poverty, war, and exploitation they cause.”
(2) Engels’s judgments on capitalist relations of production and the concentration of capitalist wealth are continuously corroborated by social realities since the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gennady Zyuganov, Chairman of the Central Committee of the CPRF, pointed out: More than 150 years have passed since the creation of Marx and Engels's primary works. During this time, capitalism has become more cruel, immoral, and destructive. The profound and irreversible crisis of the bourgeois system has never been as obvious as it is today. The world finds it increasingly clear that the correctness of Engels's exposure of bourgeois economic theory regarding the interests of capital and labor, harmony, and the general welfare of the people—and the false foresight regarding what free competition would bring—has been validated. Indeed, the ugliness of the unbridled proliferation of capitalist excess profits and exploitation has become even more apparent against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stanislav Grospič, Chairman of the Trade Union Association of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia, argued: “Engels and Marx predicted in their analysis that capital accumulation would concentrate in the hands of as few people as possible; therefore, we should not be surprised that during this COVID-19 pandemic, while the working class has become poorer, the wealth of billionaires has increased by 27.5%.”
Peter Schwarz, International Secretary of the International Committee of the Fourth International, further noted: “Financial markets are completely out of control; trade wars threaten to trigger a third world war; brutal neo-colonial wars will destroy the entire world; the democratic disintegration of the most important capitalist country—the United States; the imminent environmental catastrophe; the deaths of hundreds of thousands due to the global spread of COVID-19; the increasing concentration of world wealth and the intensification of social inequality, where the 26 richest billionaires own as much wealth as the 3.8 billion people who make up the poorest half of the Earth’s population. All of this validates what Marx and Engels wrote in the Communist Manifesto in 1848, that ‘modern bourgeois society’ is ‘like the sorcerer who is no longer able to control the powers of the nether world whom he has called up by his spells.’”
(3) Engels's strategies regarding proletarian revolution, working-class struggle, and women's liberation still hold important guiding significance today.
Stanislav Grospič argued: “Engels's ideas are still guiding the working class in its struggle for better conditions and to eliminate the roots of capitalism and oligarchy—exploitation, injustice, and oppression. Friedrich Engels's ideas are more in line with the current situation than the so-called ‘modern Left's’ defeatism and social-democratic politics, politics of promises, and radical discourse. This is not a return to Engels's history, but a step forward!” Brinda Karat, member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], in her article “Engels and Women's Liberation,” demonstrated the scientific nature of The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State from three aspects: the root causes of the oppression of women and child labor, the family situation under capitalist conditions, and the gender-based division of labor. She emphasized: “The historic contribution of Marx’s co-founder Friedrich Engels’s theory and practice of scientific socialism to the cause of women's liberation has not faded with the passage of time; it continues to illuminate the path for thousands of women worldwide in their struggle against systemic discrimination and violence, which remains prevalent even in the most developed capitalist societies.” Engels “pointed the way forward for the women of the world by bringing together all the work on historical materialism done by Marx and himself and advancing it into a concrete analysis of the material basis of women's subordinate status.”
Christian Høgsbjerg, a lecturer at the University of Brighton, in his article “Friedrich Engels at 200: The Revolutionary Historian,” praised Engels as a revolutionary historian and German revolutionary philosopher for his pioneering and far-reaching contributions to modern social and political theory. He argued that Engels played a key role in the creation and development of classical Marxism and that the commemoration of Engels's birth would shed light on the new significance of many of his views in the world of late capitalism. Høgsbjerg pointed out that today, as everyone is inspired by radical historical traditions, people's history, and history from below (grassroots historiography), the 200th anniversary of Engels’s birth should be utilized to acknowledge the intellectual debt owed to him; the vagrants and pariahs of the lowest strata of society deserve and demand to be recognized and recorded as “primary elements.”
V. Continuously Seizing New Victories in the Great Struggle of the New Era under the Guidance of Engels’s Thought and Marxism
The enduring vitality of Engels's thought and Marxism lies not only in their profound and incisive critique of capitalism and imperialism but also in providing a powerful ideological weapon and scientific guide for action for the proletariat and its parties in various countries to persist in struggle and strive for socialism. They have anchored the navigational markers for the transition of human society to socialism and communism. The commemoration and reflection on Engels by the foreign Left, while paying tribute to a great thinker in human history, strengthens faith in the scientific truth of Marxism and actively considers strategies and tactics to push world socialism from its low ebb toward a gradual revival.
(1) Promoting and strengthening the establishment and development of proletarian revolutionary party organizations.
The Workers Revolutionary Party (UK) pointed out: “Today, as the economic and political crises of the capitalist world erupt everywhere, leading to revolutionary uprisings and the struggle of workers for their rights and the establishment of Marxist leadership, the task of gradually moving toward victory by smashing the dictatorial rule of the capitalist state apparatus and realizing the dictatorship of the proletariat is imminent. Engels fought alongside Marx to establish revolutionary parties of the working class, which fearlessly led the struggle for rights. The way to commemorate Engels's life today is to advance the revolutionary cause for which he fought his whole life by establishing proletarian revolutionary party organizations in various countries and leading the world socialist revolution toward victory.”
(2) Effectively strengthening the study, research, dissemination, and education of Marxist theory.
An editorial in Nhan Dan [7], the central organ of the CPV, emphasized that dialectical materialism and scientific methodological principles have always required us to identify Marxism-Leninism as an open system. The application of Marxist-Leninist principles should be combined with practical activities. Research should continue to fill in the scientific foundation, conduct theoretical research, and summarize practice, thereby further clarifying theories concerning socialism and our country's road toward socialism. This will consolidate the spiritual foundation and enable the entire Party and people to strive for the goals of “prosperous people, a strong country, democracy, justice, and civilization.”
Nguyen Xuan Thang, member of the Secretariat of the CPV Central Committee, President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, and Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, further affirmed that Vietnam will “remain even more unswervingly on the path chosen by the Communist Party of Vietnam on the basis of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought; resolutely refute misleading statements that distort facts, and focus on protecting the scientific and revolutionary value of Marxist-Leninist doctrine.” The Communist Party of Mexico and the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain agreed that with the intensification of the ideological struggle today, it is necessary to expand the influence of Marx and Engels's ideas and strengthen the ideological armament of the proletariat, communist workers, and youth worldwide. Since the publication of Marxist works is an urgent need in the contemporary class struggle, the two parties decided to use the 200th anniversary of Engels’s birth as an opportunity to jointly publish a new edition of the Selected Works of Marx and Engels. Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of the CPI(M), also stated that if Engels's contributions were depicted as a canvas scroll, no single article could fully annotate them. Within its current capacity, the party will continue to conduct a year-long program of research activities on Engels's contributions to humanity.
(3) Establishing a united front against war and for peace—and building the broadest working-class alliance and revolutionary united front—under the slogan “Workers of the world, unite!”
Lenny Shail, a member of the National Committee of the Socialist Party (England and Wales), pointed out in the article “Friedrich Engels: The Revolutionary Who Played a Key Role in the Development of Socialism”: “Only through the socialist revolution for which Engels and Marx fought can humanity begin to utilize and plan the rich scientific and technological wealth generated by the historical labor of workers in class society. Then, when ‘workers of the world unite,’ it will be possible to create a harmonious world and sweep the horrors of capitalism into the dustbin of history.” In a speech during a demonstration in Wuppertal, the Socialist German Workers Youth (SDAJ) pointed out: “Engels's ideas and his great example remain our winning weapon in the struggle for socialism. In the multifaceted struggle for socialism, militarism is a very important issue among the many social problems in capitalist countries like Germany. Politicians in Berlin are working toward military escalation at an alarming rate. The entire German government supports the NATO goal, led by US imperialism, to spend 2% of GDP on arms expansion. We socialists resolutely oppose any incitement to war and reject war, death, suffering, and hunger.”
VI. Conclusion
The 2020 commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Engels's birth follows the 2018 commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth—
This commemoration of the anniversary represents a transmission, continuation, deepening, and supplementation. The profound interpretations provided by the foreign Left demonstrate that Engels’s complete and comprehensive body of doctrine—concerning the basic principles of scientific socialism, the development of the workers’ movement and the tactics of proletarian struggle, the theory of building working-class political parties, and the Marxist theory of the state—remains significant as a scientific theory for the proletariat's pursuit of class liberation and the liberation of all humanity. These theories can continue to guide the contemporary world socialist movement as it gradually emerges from its low ebb toward a revival, fulfilling the historical mission of liberating both oneself and all of humanity. In the face of a new and intensifying round of imperialist anti-communist and anti-Marxist offensives following the COVID-19 pandemic, the foreign Left has—on the basis of affirming and remembering Engels’s great achievements, actively evaluating his magnificent ideological contributions, and highly praising his noble character—proposed new strategies for struggle and plans of action, emphasizing the need to persist in struggle under the guidance of Engels’s thought and Marxism. For those on the foreign Left who have long fought within the "heartland" and "center" of imperialism, under such a political ecosystem and within a severe and complex situation of struggle, their commemoration and understanding of Engels—characterized by both a spirit of revolutionary optimism and an objective, prudent stance—manifests unique connotations and profound insights. This commemorative activity has served, above all, as a vivid practice of Marxist-Leninist education.
(Notes omitted)
(Author’s Affiliation: School of Marxism, Yunnan University)
Online Editor: Zhang Jian Source: Socialism Studies (《社会主义研究》), Issue 3, 2021.