The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State by Friedrich Engels (Hardcover)

Description

“The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State” by Friedrich Engels is a seminal work of political and social theory that explores the historical development of the family, private property, and the state. Engels, a collaborator of Karl Marx, wrote this book in 1884 as a follow-up to Marx’s ideas on historical materialism and the evolution of human society.

In this work, Engels examines the transition from primitive communal societies to more advanced forms of social organization. He argues that the family, based on monogamous marriage and the transmission of property through inheritance, played a crucial role in the emergence of private property and class society.

Engels traces the historical shifts in the structure of the family and how they are intertwined with changes in the economic and social systems. He contends that the rise of private property led to the oppression of women, the creation of social classes, and the development of the state as an instrument of class domination.

Throughout the book, Engels draws on anthropological and historical evidence to support his arguments, although some of his specific claims have been critiqued and revised by later scholarship.

“The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State” is a foundational text in the fields of sociology, anthropology, and political theory. It has influenced subsequent generations of scholars and thinkers, and its ideas continue to be discussed and debated in contemporary discussions of family, gender, and social organization. Engels’ work is essential for anyone interested in understanding the historical and theoretical underpinnings of Marxist thought and the dynamics of social change.