Communist Manifesto
Karl Marx
Contributed by Tennie Sauls
Preface to the 1888 English Edition
Summary

This preface is one of the largest and recounts most of the material presented in previous preface texts. Written by Engels, he provides additional historical and political interpretations of events that have transpired. The entire preface of the 1872 German edition is quoted nearly completely. The 1883 edition is also provided in near-verbatim, but it is not as a quotation.
This edition was significant because it was the first English-language translation that was directly endorsed by Engels. At the time, the original Manifesto was roughly forty years old and had gained tremendous popularity throughout the world. As the preface continues, Engels once again reformulates a statement that yields total credit for the Manifesto’s philosophy to Marx; and again, he compares the influence of the document in the political sphere to Darwin’s theory in science. As the preface concludes, it notes that the present translation into English was performed by an individual named Samuel Moore; and Engels subsequently revised the translation.

Analysis

“But when I again met Marx at Brussels, in spring 1845, he had it already worked out and put it before me in terms almost as clear as those in which I have stated it here” (p.22). When Marx and Engels were commissioned to write the Manifesto, Prussian police officers were quietly arresting Communist league members. Being introduced to Marx was a significant moment for Engels because the nucleus of the Communist ideology — the idea that history is based on class struggle — was made most apparent when speaking with Marx. Marx’s ability to present his ideas and the Communist philosophy simplistically generated a sort of excitement amongst those around him. Engels unequivocally felt invigorated by his interactions with Marx and his ability to explain Communism in terms as clear as he laid out.

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