Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 09:14:58 -0400 (EDT)
From: Justin Schwartz <jschwart-AT-freenet.columbus.oh.us>
Subject: Re: Marx - not a Marxist? (fwd)




Letter from Engels to Conrad Schmit, 5 Aug. 19890

"The materialist conception of history has a lot of dangerous friends
nowadays, who use it as an excuse for not studying history. Just as Marx,
commenting on the French 'Marxists' of the late seventies used to say:
'All I know is that I am not a Marxist.'" (Marx is quoted in French in the
original.)

He repeats this anecdote in another letter I can't locate just now, also
>from '90s. 

To guess at Marx's meaning for this, you'd probably have to read his
letters to Engels and others about the French in the late '70s.

The way it's usually used today, e.g. by Jerry or me, is to underline the
idea that it run's contrary to Marx's scientific and critical spirit to
treat everything he said as gospel.

--Justin

On Mon, 16 Sep 1996, Spoon Collective wrote:

> 
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 01:58:39 +0200
> From: Jorn Andersen <jorn.andersen-AT-vip.cybercity.dk>
> To: marxism2-AT-jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU
> Subject: Marx - not a Marxist?
> 
> At 18:53 15-09-96 -0400, Gerald Levy wrote:
> > too many 
> > "Marxists" have become "fundamentalists" -- which brings to mind Marx's 
> > statement that he was not a Marxist 
> 
> Could anyone help me with the context of this quote. I have heard it so
> many times - and for *very* different purposes, and I really would like to
> know what he meant.
> 
> 
> Yours
> 
> Jorn
> 
> 
> 
> -
> Jorn Andersen
> 
> Internationale Socialister
> Copenhagen, Denmark
> 
> 
> 
> 
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