The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State: Amazon.co.uk: Friedrich Engels, Evelyn Reed: 9780873482615: Books

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This work traces the original forms and institutions of private property, how they arose, and their consequences for working people throughout history.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engels` masterpiece on the Origin of the Family, 29 Jun 2009

By

CM Weston (Warsaw) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State (Paperback)

Engels wrote this book in 1884 - a year after the death of his longterm partner, Marx. It was influenced by some of Marx`s own writings - an example of the lively exchange of ideas between the two, and research published by an anthropologist of the time, Lewis H Morgan, contained in "Ancient Society".
Engels goes through the major epochs of man and woman`s coexistence from the time of 'Savagery' through 'Barbarism' to the epoch of 'Civilization', describing how woman`s role has changed due to economic developments - the rise of capitalism and the impact on society, in particular, women`s role and rights. For this, Engels turns to research conducted on American indians and other tribes, as well as tracing the history of the Athenian state, Rome and the German tribes.
It is quite a wideranging book in the subjects covered - touching upon the history of social relationships - the economic ascent of man and fall of woman, sex, social anthropology et al. It is also no wonder that this book attracts warm compliments from feminists with: "The overthrow of mother right was the world historic defeat of the female sex. The man seized the reins in the house also; the woman was degraded, enthralled, the slave of the man`s lust, a mere instrument for breeding children. The lowered position of women has become gradually embellished and dissembled and, in part, clothed in a milder form, but by no means abolished". Or: "The first division of labor is that between man and woman for child breeding".
But this is not all, Engels also touches on environmental issues towards the end of the book - he has already spotted the reverse side of unbridled economic development.
In addition, Engels lets loose his usual wry observations and humour - 'the principal industry of Verdun in the tenth century, that is, in the Holy Roman Empire,' he comments, 'was the manufacture of eunuchs, who were exported with great profit to Spain for the harems of the Moors.'
This is a thought provoking and entertaining work from a classic author.

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Amazon.com: 5.0 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Marxist classic, 31 July 2000

By Bj�rn Egil Johansen - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State (Paperback)

Engels wrote this book more than a hundred years ago, attempting to prove that the family, the private property and the state are not "natural" institutions, but results of a historical development starting with the first farmer-societies. As the material basis of the society changed, it opened room for a ruling class, needing these institutions to maintain and protect their position.

At the time Engels wrote this book, the scientific material available was very small. Since then the scientific material has increased dramatically, and parts of the material Engels based his work on have shown not to be too accurate. However his conclusions are surprisingly accurate, even after a hundred years.

The most interesting part about this small book is Engels historical method. Engels attempts to have a strictly historical-material view on the development of mankind, emphasising the economic and material basis of the society.

The conclusion is politically very important. Since different kinds of oppression has developed throughout history, oppression can be ended throughout history, giving a scientific fundament to change the world and put an end to oppression.

"The Origin of..." is a Marxist classic, truly showing the scientific character of Marxism.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tearing Down Social Icons, 17 Mar 2002

By Martin Boyers - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State (Paperback)

Are the father-centered family, private property, and the state necessary and inevitable part of all human societies?
Frederick Engels, coworker of Karl Marx, says no. Engels demonstrates that these three institutions arose in the fairly recent history of the human race, as a way to establish the rule of the many over the few. And, conversley, when these institutions are an obstacle to human progress, they can be dismantled.
Although this book was written about 125 years ago, the subject matter and his point of view sound surprisingly modern. Evelyn Reed, a Marxist anthropologist, writes a 1972 introduction that updates the original work from the point of view of 20th century anthropology debates abd the rise of modern women's movement. An additional short article by Engels, "The part played by labor in the transition from ape to man" is a lively piece that could be part of today's debates on human origin with almost no hint of its vintage (except maybe for his use of the term "man", instead of gender-neutral "humanity").

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Relevant Today, 21 April 2002

By Joanne Murphy - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State (Paperback)

Was human society always overseen by a military and police force?
Was wealth and the means of producing more wealth always the private possession of individuals or a small section of society?
Were women always at the bottom of society, treated primarily as sex objects and machines for child-bearing and child-raising?

And is this humanity's destiny?
In this book published in 1884, Fredrich Engels answers the above questions in the negative. His book is based on anthropological data available in his day from societies around the globe. New discoveries since have confirmed his conclusions and the book is remarkably relevant today.

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