Date: Thu, 23 Nov 95 08:43:59 +0100
From: kls-AT-unidui.uni-duisburg.de (Hinrich Kuhls)
Subject: Re:  Engels


On Wed, 22 Nov 1995, John R. Ernst wrote to PEN-l:

>I'd agree with Cox and Tell that Engel's efforts 
>were helpful to Marx as he worked out his  
>critique of political economy.
>
>I recall in the Book I  of CAPITAL, Marx 
>cites Engel's work of the 1840's quite  
>favorably.   But .... Yes. There is "but." 
>Engels sometimes got things wrong.   I suppose 
>the example I would cite is in Book III of  
>CAPITAL where Marx teaches that fixed capital 
>does not grow as fast as productivity and 
>Engels follows with at few paragraphs that 
>state the opposite.  (See Ch 15, Sec 4) 
> 
>To be sure, Marx is not the easiest writer 
>to understand and, in at least this instance, 
>Engels was among those confused.  The sad 
>thing is that Engels himself is not clear that he, 
>too, was lost.  
> 
>Cheap shots at Engels are exactly that-- cheap.  But 
>blind defenses of the man serve no one. 
> 

Did Engels *sometimes* get things wrong? Or do you think something went
wrong, when he edited Capital vol. II and vol. III?
*If* you assume that Engels himself was not clear about what he did, so
please explain to us, *why* Engels was among those confused?

John, you've stated a clear "but" related to Engels' contributions to
scientific socialism and to critique of political economy. Therefore  it
would be helpful to add  some *less cheap* shots and  a *clear-sighted*
critique.
He deserves it. November 28th is just around the corner!

Hinrich Kuhls



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