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[XXXIX.1.]
I have already
announced in the Deutsch-Franzosische Jahrbucher the critique of
jurisprudence and political science in the form of a critique of
the Hegelian philosophy of law. While preparing it for publication,
the intermingling of criticism directed only against speculation with
criticism of the various subjects themselves proved utterly unsuitable,
hampering the development of the argument and rendering comprehension
difficult. Moreover, the wealth and diversity of the subjects to be treated
could have been compressed into one work only in a purely aphoristic
style; whilst an aphoristic presentation of this kind, for its part, would
have given the impression of arbitrary systematism. I shall therefore
publish the critique of law, ethics, politics, etc., in a series of distinct,
independent pamphlets, and afterwards try in a special work to present
them again as a connected whole showing the interrelationship of the separate
parts, and lastly attempt a critique of the speculative elaboration of
that material. For this reason it will be found that the interconnection
between political economy and the state, law, ethics, civil life, etc.,
is touched upon in the present work only to the extent to which political
economy itself expressly touches upon these subjects.
It is hardly necessary to assure the reader conversant with political
economy that my results have been attained by means of a wholly empirical
analysis based on a conscientious critical study of political economy.
<Whereas the uninformed reviewer who tries to hide his complete ignorance
and intellectual poverty by hurling the 'utopian phrase' at the
positive critic's head, or again such phrases as "quite pure, quite
resolute, quite critical criticism", the "not merely legal but
social--utterly social-- society", the "compact, massy mass",
the "outspoken spokesmen of the massy mass", this reviewer has
yet to furnish the first proof that besides his theological family affairs
he has anything to contribute to a discussion of worldly matters.>
It goes without saying that besides the French and English socialists
I have also used German socialist works. The only original German
works of substance
[XL.1.]
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[XXXIX.2.]
in this science, however--other than Weitling's writings--are the essays
by Hess published in Einundzwanzig Bogen and Umrisse
zu emer Kritik der Ekonomie by Engels in the Deutsch-Franzsische
Jahrbilcher, where also the basic elements of this work [Economic
and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844] have been indicated by me
in a very general way.
<Besides being indebted to these authors who have given critical attention
to political economy, positive criticism as a whole--and therefore also
German positive criticism of political economy--owes its true foundation
to the discoveries of Feuerbach, against whose Philosophie der
Zukunft and Thesen zur Reform der Philosophie in the Anekdota,
despite the tacit use that is made of them, the petty envy of some
and the veritable wrath of others seem to have instigated a regular conspiracy
of silence.>
It is only with Feuerbach that positive, humanistic and
naturalistic criticism begins. The less noise they make, the more certain,
profound, extensive, and enduring is the effect of Feuerbach's writings;
the only writings since Hegel's Phanomenologie and Logik to
contain a real theoretical revolution.
In contrast to the critical theologians of our day, I have deemed the
concluding chapter of this work--a critical discussion of Hegelian
dialectic and philosophy as a whole--to be absolutely necessary,
[XL.2.]
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