New Book "Marx's Circle of Friends" Released in Beijing to Commemorate the 205th Anniversary of Marx's Birth

On May 5, 2023, to commemorate the birth of Marx, People's Publishing House held a launch ceremony for the new book Marx’s Circle of Friends. This year coincides with a convergence of significant milestones: the 205th anniversary of Marx's birth and the 140th anniversary of his death, the 5th anniversary of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s "Speech at the Conference to Commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Karl Marx," and the 130th anniversary of Comrade Mao Zedong’s birth. To help the broad ranks of Party members, cadres, and the masses understand Marx’s extraordinary ^[1] revolutionary interactions and thereby gain a profound understanding of the spiritual essence of Marxism, People's Publishing House planned and published the volume Marx’s Circle of Friends.

Based on authoritative historical facts and using popular and engaging language, this book tells the moving stories of the ups and downs between Marx and his friends. These friends include not only essential intellectual partners such as Engels—Marx's "second self" and his "pinned friend"—as well as "starred friends" like Heine, Wolff, Westphalen, and Feuerbach, but also comrades and students like Liebknecht and Bebel, and theoretical opponents such as Proudhon, Bauer, Lassalle, and Bakunin. The book features over 100 illustrations presented in the format of a WeChat "Moments" feed ^[2], showcasing what Marx and his friends saw, heard, felt, and thought. This allows readers to truly understand Marx, draw closer to him, and follow in his footsteps.

The launch event was held grandly at the Beijing Books Building. Guests and scholars in attendance included Ren Zhiqiang, Vice President of People's Publishing House; Gong Yun, Vice Dean of the Institute of Marxism Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS); Hao Lixin, Professor at the School of Marxism, Renmin University of China; and Yu Bin, Director of the Department of Principles at the Institute of Marxism Studies, CASS. The ceremony was moderated by Cui Jixin, Director of the First Marxism-Leninism Editorial Department of People's Publishing House.

At the venue, Vice President Ren Zhiqiang first delivered an enthusiastic speech, offering warm congratulations on the publication of Marx’s Circle of Friends. He pointed out that today marks the 205th anniversary of Marx’s birth, and through the publication and release of this book, we deeply cherish the memory of Marx. We use this book to discover and understand Marx’s circle of friends, relive the extraordinary years of his social interactions, and further perceive the trajectory of his intellectual development, thereby better understanding, mastering, inheriting, and developing Marxism. He introduced the compilation process in detail, noting that the book will help readers better recognize the basic principles of Marxism and integrate them with China's specific realities and fine traditional Chinese culture ^[3]. By adhering to dialectical materialism and historical materialism, it aims to correctly answer the major questions posed by the times and practice, ensuring that Marxism always maintains its vigorous vitality and robust energy. Finally, Vice President Ren Zhiqiang thanked the experts and scholars who compiled and reviewed the book, as well as the guests and the broad readership for their full support.

Subsequently, the moderator Cui Jixin engaged in a focused dialogue with Vice Dean Gong Yun, Professor Hao Lixin, and Director Yu Bin. The dialogue revolved around the theme "Marx and His Friends," where the guests explored Marx’s interactions from different perspectives and recounted the profound friendships among them.

During the dialogue, the moderator and guests discussed how Marx’s personal charisma and brilliant ideas influenced many friends to embark on the revolutionary path and struggle for human liberation. Vice Dean Gong Yun cited the growth experiences of figures like Liebknecht and Bebel, who, under Marx’s guidance, became pursuers and practitioners of Marxism. He emphasized that Marx’s "circle of friends" is not only a small world recording his life but also a grand stage showcasing his worldview, presenting the theoretical foundations and guiding ideology of Marxism.

Professor Hao Lixin introduced Marx’s intellectual partners and shared his views on the book. He stated that, on one hand, the book comprehensively presents Marx’s social circle, including the influence exerted by friends like Engels and Heine on the development of his thought; on the other hand, the book’s language is beautiful, vivid, and interesting, making it highly readable. Through this book, one can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the history of Marx’s ideas.

Director Yu Bin first shared three short stories of the interactions between Marx and Engels with the audience. He introduced their experiences of mutual financial support, the changes in their supportive relationship, their joint revolutionary activities, and their evaluations of each other in their later years. Director Yu Bin emphasized that Marx and his friends were like-minded ^[4], sharing a common pursuit of truth and ideals.

Finally, Vice Dean Gong Yun provided a detailed introduction to the characteristics and benefits of Marx’s Circle of Friends. He pointed out that by recounting the turbulent stories between Marx and his friends, the book presents us with a more three-dimensional and vivid image of Marx, demonstrating his rich diversity in thought, scholarship, and personal relationships. The book not only helps us better understand Marxist thought but also aids in improving our interpersonal skills as we learn from Marx’s character in adhering to truth and "seeking truth while engaging with the abstract" ^[5].

This launch ceremony for Marx’s Circle of Friends delivered an academic feast full of wisdom and warmth, providing readers with a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of Marx and his associates. It is of profound significance for further stimulating the enthusiasm of the broad ranks of Party members, cadres, and the masses to study, inherit, and carry forward Marxism.