Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State [Paperback]

Friedrich Engels (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1972

How the emergence of class-divided society gave rise to repressive state bodies and family structures that protect the property of the ruling layers and enable them to pass along wealth and privilege. Engels discusses the consequences for working people of these class institutions -- from their original forms to their modern versions.

Also available in: French; Spanish

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) was the author of The Condition of the Working Class in England and collaborated with Karl Marx on The Communist Manifesto and Capital.

Tristram Hunt, one of Britain's best-known young historians, is a lecturer in British history at Queen Mary, University of London. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Pathfinder Pr (June 1972)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873482611
• ISBN-13: 978-0873482615
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #900,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Marxist classic, July 31, 2000

By 

Bjørn Egil Johansen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State (Paperback)

Engels wrote this book more than a hundred years ago, attempting to prove that the family, the private property and the state are not "natural" institutions, but results of a historical development starting with the first farmer-societies. As the material basis of the society changed, it opened room for a ruling class, needing these institutions to maintain and protect their position.

At the time Engels wrote this book, the scientific material available was very small. Since then the scientific material has increased dramatically, and parts of the material Engels based his work on have shown not to be too accurate. However his conclusions are surprisingly accurate, even after a hundred years.

The most interesting part about this small book is Engels historical method. Engels attempts to have a strictly historical-material view on the development of mankind, emphasising the economic and material basis of the society.

The conclusion is politically very important. Since different kinds of oppression has developed throughout history, oppression can be ended throughout history, giving a scientific fundament to change the world and put an end to oppression.

"The Origin of..." is a Marxist classic, truly showing the scientific character of Marxism.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tearing Down Social Icons, March 17, 2002

By 

Martin Boyers (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State (Paperback)

Are the father-centered family, private property, and the state necessary and inevitable part of all human societies?
Frederick Engels, coworker of Karl Marx, says no. Engels demonstrates that these three institutions arose in the fairly recent history of the human race, as a way to establish the rule of the many over the few. And, conversley, when these institutions are an obstacle to human progress, they can be dismantled.
Although this book was written about 125 years ago, the subject matter and his point of view sound surprisingly modern. Evelyn Reed, a Marxist anthropologist, writes a 1972 introduction that updates the original work from the point of view of 20th century anthropology debates abd the rise of modern women's movement. An additional short article by Engels, "The part played by labor in the transition from ape to man" is a lively piece that could be part of today's debates on human origin with almost no hint of its vintage (except maybe for his use of the term "man", instead of gender-neutral "humanity").

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Relevant Today, April 21, 2002

By 

Joanne Murphy (Iowa, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State (Paperback)

Was human society always overseen by a military and police force?
Was wealth and the means of producing more wealth always the private possession of individuals or a small section of society?
Were women always at the bottom of society, treated primarily as sex objects and machines for child-bearing and child-raising?

And is this humanity's destiny?
In this book published in 1884, Fredrich Engels answers the above questions in the negative. His book is based on anthropological data available in his day from societies around the globe. New discoveries since have confirmed his conclusions and the book is remarkably relevant today.