Karl Marx and the Birth of Modern Society: The Life of Marx and the Development of His Work

by Michael Heinrich, Michael Heinrich (Translator)

For over a century, Karl Marx's critique of capitalism has been a crucial resource for social movements. Now, recent economic crises have made it imperative for us to comprehend and actualize Marx's ideas. But without a knowledge of Karl Marx's life as he lived it, neither Marx nor his works can be fully understood. There are more than twenty-five comprehensive biographies of Marx, but none of them consider his life and work in equal, corresponding measure. This biography, planned for three volumes, aims to include what most biographies have reduced to mere the contemporary conflicts, struggles, and disputes that engaged Marx at the time of his writings, alongside his complex relationships with a varied assortment of friends and opponents.

This first volume will deal extensively with Marx's youth in Trier and his studies in Bonn and Berlin. It will also examine the function of poetry in his intellectual development and his first occupation with Hegelian philosophy and with the so-called "young Hegelians" in his 1841 Dissertation. Already during this period, there were crises as well as breaks in Marx's intellectual development that prompted Marx to give up projects and re-conceptualize his critical enterprise. This volume is the beginning of an astoundingly dimensional look at Karl Marx - a study of a complex life and body of work through the neglected issues, events, and people that helped comprise both. It is destined to become a classic.

Genres: History, Biography, Politics, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Economics, Theory

567 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2019

About the author

Michael Heinrich is a German Marxist political scientist. He taught economics for many years at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin and was managing editor of PROKLA: Journal for Critical Social Science. He has written in depth on Marx’s critique of political economy in his book, The Science of Value. His An Introduction to the Three Volumes of Karl Marx’s Capital is probably the most popular introduction to Marx’s economic works in Germany.

Reviews

[Paul Ataua · Rating 3 out of 5]

I begin by saying that this is a fascinating study of the 19th century Germany covering a mass of interesting material and a lot of insight to Marx’s influences. We are introduced to pages and pages about Trier(Marx’s birthplace), the political situation at the turn of the century, his father, his girlfriend, the Jesuit school system, Marx’s love of poetry, and so on, and it is all presented with occasional throwaway references to Marx himself. The first cursory reference to Marx’s thinking appears at about 40% in the kindle edition, and then is a short discussion of a few pages, which is neither deep or clear. This is followed by a long and interesting discussion of the debates within religion throughout that century with no real mention of Marx. We finally come to a chapter entitled Bauer and Marx at 62% only to find that the next 25 or so pages are on Bauer. When Marx does appear at around the 65% mark, it is in less depth and with less clarity than I expected.

This is a really interesting and important book for anyone with a solid background in Marx. It is good history and great background. My three stars come from its misrepresentation in the blurbs:

‘There are more than twenty-five comprehensive biographies of Marx, but none of them consider his life and work in equal, corresponding measure’.

Of course, the work part may be dealt with more in the next two volumes, but I have my doubts. I think it will be just more of the same, so you'd better brush up on your Marx before going there. Having said that, that same is worth spending time on.

[Mostafa · Rating 4 out of 5]

ينزعنا الميل نحو الأسطرة إلى أن ننسى أن تلك الأسطورة كانت يومًا ما بشرًا من لحم وطين، أعتقد أن هذا ما حدث مع ماركس، فالأسطورة أما أن تكون نبيًّا أو شيّطانًا، وهذا أيضًا معظم ما كُتب عن ماركس من السيّر، وفي كتابه، يحاول مايكل هاينريخ أن ينزع كل سمات الأسطرة عن شخص ماركس وينقد السيّر التي تعاملت معه بصفته شيّطانًا وهي الأكثر، أو بصفته نبيًّا وهي الأقل، ويقدم لنا صورة بانورامية كاملة عن الوضع الثقافي في بروسيا منذ نهاية القرن الثامن عشر ومطلع الذي يليه، أنت لست تقرأ عن ماركس فقط، بل تقرأ هنا عن هيغل وفيخته وشتراوس وفيورباخ، كما أنك تتبع جذور الفكر النازي العنصري ومرحلة المخاض لمعادة السامية في بروسيا، وغير ذلك نقرأ عن الشق العاطفي في حياة ماركس، وزاوية كانت نادرة التناول من قبل وهي حسه الأدبي وأشعاره واهتماماته بالدين ما قبل نقده، كما أن شخصية الوالد هي أيضًا من الشخصيات ذات الرمزية القوية لمجتمع الانتلجنسيا في بروسيا في مطلع القرن الثامن عشر. لذلك أنا متحمس جدًا للجزء الثاني من هذا الكتاب، وممتن جدًا لاستجابة دار المدى العراقية في ترجمة الجزء الأول في أعقاب صدوره بأشهر قليلة وهو أمر نادر جدًا على حركة الترجمة في الثقافة العربية، والشكر أيضًا لهوامش المترجم ثامر الصفار

[amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magisterial work of scholarship, which serves a triple purpose as a narrative history of Marx’s early life (early - as of this first entry's breaking-off point, he is not even, as yet, a socialist), an excellent metahistorical critique of other Marx biographies, and a great history of the intellectual and social climate of Prussia over the first half of the 19th century. Of necessity, also includes a lot of exposition on the work and thought of Marx's contemporaries and predecessors, with a particularly long section on post-Kantian theology and the Prussian liberal movement towards the end. Heinrich is at every turn very careful about reading documents in their proper context, that is, not teleologizing them or taking their exceptional nature for granted - an exam paper, for example, often cited uncritically as an uncanny precursor to Marx's later philosophy, is compared at length against the essays of his schoolmates in order to discern what of the argument is uniquely Marx's and what is simply informed by the ethic of the class' educators. I have no idea how Heinrich is going to maintain this level of care in writing about the remainder of Marx's life and work, given that we're not even as yet up to the early 'philosophical' manuscripts, let alone the three great mountains of Capital, but I look forward to watching him try.

[Akbar Madan · Rating 4 out of 5]

منذ أن قرأت كتاب مفهوم الانسان للعالم أريك فروم الذي يناقش فيه مفهوم إغتراب الإنسان في فلسفة ماركس ، أدركت أن الماركسية التي تُنقل لنا فيها الكثير من التشويه ، ملامح غير واضحة عن أفكار كارل ماركس وعن حياته ، جاء كتاب " كارل ماركس وولادة المجتمع الحديث " للكاتب ميخائيل هاينريخ ليؤكد التشويه الذي تعرّضت سيرة ماركس وأفكاره لها ، ميخائيل اعتمد في كتابة سيرة ماركس على المراسلات الحقيقية الموجودة بينه وبين كل من يحيطه ، يرصدها ويحللها ويربط ما جاء فيها مع الاحداث المسجلة عن تلك الحقبة مستنتجاً بعض ملامح شخصية كارل وبعض ملامح نهجه وأفكاره ، طريقة ميخائيل في كاتبة سيرة ماركس تختلف عن الكثير من السير التي اطلعت عليها ، حيث يعرض لك الكثير الكثير من الأحداث المتنوعة والشخصيات المختلفة وبكل تفاصيلها الدقيقة المرتبطة بمسيرة كارل أو يتزامن حدوثها في فترة توهجه مع القليل القليل عن تفصيل حياته وملامح أفكاره ، هذا العرض يهدف إلى التركيز على المحيط بكل تنوعه ووفرة معلوماتية لفهم ما جاء من القليل الموثوق عن حياة ماركس نفسه ، هذه سيرة الكل لإرادة الجزء ، سيرة تفهمها بكل وضوح عندما تفهم السياج الذي يحيطها ، تهضمها اذا ربطت سياقات محادثاتها مع سياق المحادثات العامة لكل من يحيط بها ، سيرة ترتسم من خلال سياقات وخطوط تفصيلية وعريضة عن سير الآخرين ، تداخل كل السير يعطي وجهة نظر بانورامية عن الشخصية المستهدفة ، تذكرت صديقي كاتب السيرة المحترف حسين المحروس وبالخصوص عندما كتب " نسيج العمامة " أتصور أنه اعتبر العمامة نسيج من خيوط تفصيلية وعامة عن حياة السيد من خلال كل من يحيط به وبالخصوص زوجاته حيث افرد لهن صفحات عن سيرة كل واحدة منهن ، ليكتمل النسيج في العمامة .

[D. Ware · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be the definitive Marx biography for years to come.

Heinrich's first volume covers the years 1818-1841, which in most biographies of Marx are confined to a perfunctory first 20 pages filled with speculation on Marx's youth and early adulthood.

Heinrich, in contrast, offers a rich, multi-dimensional look at the social history of Trier and the Rhine territory under French occupation and Prussian rule, its social conditions, and the social and cultural milieus that would form the young Marx.

He then proceeds to a rich examination of the young Marx's university years in Bonn and Berlin, providing a far more detailed and differentiated look at the philosophy of Hegel and his followers, and the Prussian intellectual and theological debates they were embedded in, in order to reconstruct the complex ways in which this milieu contributed to the intellectual formation of the young Marx, whose philosophical views were just starting to take shape after his turn away from an envisioned literary career.

I am eagerly looking forward to future volumes. In this initial volume, Heinrich brings the same painstaking and careful scholarship to bear on the "early Marx" that he has in other works dealing with Marx's critique of political economy.

Highly recommended.

[Mikael Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is there to say. An exceptional work in every aspect, diligent and with a stunning attention to detail. The ability to situate everything in its historical temporality and at the same time acknowledging the limitations of the source material. A must read for anyone the leat interested in Marx. Looking forward to the following volumes!

[Mohammed Hussam · Rating 4 out of 5]

من أفضل ما قرأت عن بدايات ماركس والظروف الاجتماعية لعصره، متحمس جداً لقراءة الأجزاء الأخرى..

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

definitive

[Ian Szabo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first volume of what will likely become the definitive biography and that which all further biographies of Marx will be measured

[Nawaf Alharbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

لا تستهويني كثيرًا كتب السير، إلا أن هذه الكتاب وهو جزء من أربع مجلدات راق لي. لا يبحث الكتاب فقط في سيرة ماركس الشخصية أو الفكرية بل أنه يسعى لتوضيح الظروف السياسية والاجتماعية والشخصية في ظل ولادة مجتمع القرن التاسع عشر ومن خلالها تفسير تطور أعمال ماركس.

[Gerald Sigmund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part 2 when?

[Faris Rahmadian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heinrich mungkin “hanya” salah satu dari ratusan penulis buku biografi tentang Marx yang telah mempublikasikan tulisannya dari sejak awal Abad Ke-20. Lalu menjadi pertanyaan, mengapa kita perlu membaca buku ini? Ada satu alasan penting, bahkan untuk siapapun yang pernah membaca buku biografi Marx, yang membuat buku ini berbeda: Heinrich menghindari spekulasi dan segala bentuk "overestimation" terhadap Marx. Sesuatu yang banyak terjadi dalam penulisan biografi Marx, dan kerap kali menjelma menjadi kultus individu. Ia tidak mengulangi hipotesis psikoanalitis terhadap Marx, hubungannya dengan ayahnya, Bruno Bauer, atau individu lainnya yang tidak berdasarkan pada data yang tersedia. Secara umum, buku ini juga sangat koheren karena Heinrich mampu menuliskan segalanya secara kronologis dan mengkontektualisasikan segala socio-political backdrop serta yang para individu membentuk Marx (nyaris hampir) satu persatu. Buku ini juga secara praktis mengingatkan kita tentang betapa pentingnya peran Jenny von Westphalen (istri Marx) yang sering kali terpinggirkan dalam diskursus intelektual Marx. Jenny tidak hanya menjadi sosok yang memberikan dukungan mental Marx kala mengalami konflik, tetapi menjadi partisipan aktif dan kritik terhadap gagasan dan filosofi Marx, hingga bagian integral (namun, 'otonom') dari hampir segala gerakan politik revolusioner Marx. Dalam berbagai deskripsi aktivitas tersebut, kita dapat merasakan bagaimana Heinrich berupaya 'mengembalikan' keutuhan agensi Jenny, dan secara tidak langsung, semakin menjadikan buku ini sebagai biografi yang lebih spesial. (20/08/2020)

[Rei · Rating 4 out of 5]

michael heinrich is really good at making biographies not boring or dry. this might be my favorite marx biography because of his extensive research. a lot of marx biographers seem to speculate when there's no proof but the author is careful not to make the same mistake.

this volume contains the story of young marx from his birth until he finished his doctorate program. i also gained a lot of insight into the condition of prussia at that time and also marx's family. one can't separate marx's works from his upbringing and environment.

i'm surprised that marx, in his younger years, was not yet as revolutionary as we see in his works like Das Kapital and others. his family was harmonious and he lived in relatively good economic conditions too. although there were some difficulties, marx managed them well. some people might view marx as someone serious with little humor in his thoughts, but that's far from accurate. it's clear that marx had a playful and caring personality. he's just like us in our younger days, full of mistakes and full of passion. undoubtedly, the political condition in prussia at that time and how intellectuals reacted to it must have shaped marx's thoughts. i wish i could also see his transition from idealism to materialism in the next volume.

one thing i particularly don't like about this biography is that there's a lengthy section on the philosophy of religion with no mention of marx and filled with theories i don't really understand. other than that, this book is a solid background on young marx's life.

[James Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the reviews here called this "magisterial," which seems right. The level of detail and context is incredible, at times overwhelming. Pokes holes in a lot of recieved wisdom about Marx and his context, especially w/r/t the political currents that shaped Marx's young life and the positions of the "Young Hegelians," a term Heinrich largely rejects. A little bit of a drag because Marx doesn't do anything particularly significant in this part of his life and some of the digressions about the debates about the degree of historic grounding of the Gospels as account's of Christ's life might be relevant in some way but definitely aren't interesting. The appendix, about the different approaches to biographies, the debates around those approaches, and their application to Marx and Marxism, is worth the price of admission.

[Farouk Adil · Rating 5 out of 5]

اهم دراسة صدرت لحد الان مترجمة باللغة العربية عن الفيلسوف والناقد الالماني كارل ماركس ،هذه الدراسة تصف ماركس في مرحلة التكوين الجامعي ومرحلة الشباب مع مقدمة تصل ل 150 ورقة تقريبا تحيط بالجو العام للحياة السياسية الالمانية وتكوين واصول ماركس الاب وحياة الالمان العامة ،عمل هاينريخ عمل سيري مهم جدا لاحد اهم رموز الفكر العالمي كارل ماركس ،لايعلم كثيرون ان كارل ماركس كتب الشعر واحب الادب وله محاولات لنشر اعماله الادبية ثم بعدها تحول الى الاقتصاد السياسي والفلسفة الهيغلية ثم قام بنقدها ايضا في الكتاب اساتذة ماركس وتاثيرهم الفكري نحوه وايضا اجادة ماركس للغة اليونانية واللاتينية وفيما بعد اللغة الايطالية والفرنسية ،بعض من مسودات هذا الكتاب فقط باللغة الالمانية لم تترجم الى اي لغة عدا اللغة العربية ،صدر الكتاب عن دار النشر العراقية دار المدى .

[Justin Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heinrich is one of the best and most important Marx scholars, screw it, ever, and his books on *Capital* are essential for anyone who wants to understand Marx's most important work. This is... I mean, it ends in 1841, so basically, when someone produces a condensed version of Heinrich's three (ish) volume bio, only fifteen pages of this will make it in. There's not much new here, there's a *lot* of context that isn't necessary for anyone, but there are nice insights.

Why did Marx go Hegelian? Because Hegel's critique of the pure romantic soul made it clear to Marx that his earlier, 'poetic' life was incoherent.

Was Marx a Young Hegelian? No, but an analyst of the young/old division.

Okay, two nice insights. Looking forward to Heinrich getting to Marx in the British Library...

[William Sowka · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book's Introduction, the author astutely describes the challenges of reading and writing a biography, delineating a process by which this biography meets a standard of work which is reliable and comprehensive. His starting point is to avoid biographical fiction and to avoid blurring fact with supposition. In doing so he is careful to provide the most reliable source possible for every important assertion. The second starting point is to appreciate the relationship between Marx's life and his work. The third starting point is to provide detailed historical, political, and philosophical context to to the intellectual development of Marx. This he does so with such depth that this work may prove difficult for some to get through. Regardless, there is a lot to learn, a lot to provoke curiosity, and a lot to prompt more research- particularly on the philosophical influences on Marx. Looking forward to the next two volumes!

[prince daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heinrich hurry up with the other volumes goddamn

in all seriousness though this is a really really great biography, it can be dense at times but its ultimately worth everything, karl marx was an extraordinary individual, i would recommend this book to anyone honestly it also provides you with wonderful context to work with after, a problem that many readers encounter when wanting to step into marx and engels is that they don’t know what the fuck they’re on about and who they’re critiquing or commenting on - heinrich’s first volume will paint the picture of that scene thats required to boost you

[TheEoJMan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obvious from reading the introduction that this is a work of incredibly detailed scholarship. The major issue is it’s also focused on the dullest part of Marx’s life, so the enjoyment of a casual (albeit obsessive) reader suffers. Many small time academic jabs at Marx biographers who must have died a minimum of decades before the English translation of this book came out. Highlights include topics like: did Marx cheat on his math homework?, did Marx love his father?, did Marx read Feuerbach before or after his dissertation?, etc.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume I is extremely thorough and puts to bed a number of Marx myths/legends that have not been properly sourced or invented whole-cloth by other biographers. Provides an awful lot of context for the life of Marx, including more information about his father than I've found anywhere else so far. Volume I covers events from shortly before his birth until receiving his doctorate from Jena (while in Berlin).

Highly recommended. Can not wait for the next two volumes to be released.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty good. I would echo other reviewers in saying that it sometimes feels like there is a lack of Marx's own voice, however all of the Marx cited here is readily available to us, whereas the exposition and historiography Heinrich undertakes here (as well as an appendix on the possibility of a Marx biography) is invaluable.

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

A careful account of what we can know about Marx’s youth and how his ideas developed. It does an exceptional job of recreating the liberal/enlightenment ferment he was raised in, which mostly took the form of desire for a constitutional monarchy in Prussia. Both his and Jenny’s father appear to be of that political persuasion.

[Nadia saleh · Rating 5 out of 5]

سيرة ميّزها عقلية هاينريخ التحليلية ،مما يجعله مقنع و ما يقدمه مدعّم بأدلة ووثائق تاريخية ويدحض بعض القصص الشهيرة اللي نسبت لماركس وبالدليل أيضًا كما يقدم وصف كامل للخلفية الثقافية ووضع كل شخصية اثرت على ماركس قبل أن يقدمها.. الملاحق متنوعة وتفصيلية

[عبدالله · Rating 5 out of 5]

كتاب رائع، يحكي في جزئه الأول سيرة كارل ماركس في سياقها التاريخي من عام 1818-1841، مرورًا بذكر الخلفية لأبوين كارل الاجتماعية والمادية، ثم ولادته الى ظروف تعميده وتحول عائلته من اليهودية الى المسيحية والظروف التي رافقتها، الى ابتعاثه الى جامعة بون ثم الى جامعة برلين وتأثره بالتيارات الفلسفية هناك.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die bisher beste Biografie des Karl Marx. Interessante Einführung in sein Denken und sein Frühwerk. Methodisch brilliante Biografik. Setzt Maßstäbe!

[Willem Mingelen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superbe

[Amar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A drag to read at many points. However, that's just largely due to how systematic this work deals with Marx's life. This is surely *the* definitive biography of Marx.

[Salvador Ramírez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este es el primer libro de una nueva biografía de Marx, que constará de tres volúmenes. La gran diferencia con otras biografías que se han hecho es su ambición y aproximación metodológica para realizarla. Michael Heinrich, considerado uno de los grandes estudiosos de la obra de Marx, busca analizar su momento histórico y político, sus relaciones personales y su interrelación con las discusiones teóricas y políticas del momento, dando cuenta de cómo esto forma su vida. El sostiene que le interesa "..el proceso histórico en el que Karl Marx se desarrolló como persona, como teórico, como activista político y como revolucionario" (p.9). Evitando realizar otra biografía que sea sesgada (por motivos políticos concretos) o que marque una narrativa teleológica (estaba destinado a ser Karl Marx).

En este primer libro se divide en tres partes. En la primera, describe la ciudad en la que nación (Trier, una ciudad altamente desigual), analizar la vida de su pasado familiar y la de sus padres, dada la importancia que su padre tiene en su formación (Heinrich Marx), las condiciones políticas en Alemania que buscaban la creación de una monarquía constitucionalista y los primeros años de vida de Karl Marx en Trier.

En la segunda parte, trata la vida de Marx al entrar a la universidad de Berlin, de su compromiso con Jenny von Wetphalen y la relación epistolar con su padre. Aquí resalta que Marx escribió una gran cantidad de poemas y trato de emprender una carrera de poeta. Sin embargo, tiene su primera crisis intelectual y comienza a estudiar la filosofía Hegeliana.

En la tercera parte, profundiza ampliamente sobre los debates sobre la filosofía de la religión a principios del siglo XIX en Alemania, el papel de Hegel en estos debates, su adscripción a la universidad de Berlín y el llamado surgimiento de los "jóvenes hegelianos". Al mismo tiempo que trata la vida de Marx en la universidad de Berlín, el cómo estos debates explican su contexto de estudio, así como su amistad con Baurer y su disertación doctoral. Donde se trata sus estudios profundos en filosofía y teología. También da cuenta de sus relaciones personales, del desencuentro con su padre y el fallecimiento del mismo, que afectaría a Karl Marx.

El estilo del libro es de corte académico, incluyendo discusiones filosóficas del momento, y amplias referencias a lo largo de su desarrollo. Si bien las primeras partes del mismo no trata directamente sobre la vida de Marx, estas son esenciales para los interesados en Marx y el mismo marxismo, pues sin duda permite comprender su desarrollo intelectual y desmitificar mucho de lo que se ha escrito alrededor de uno de los autores más influyentes de los últimos 150 años.

Para quién tenga más interés, recomiendo una reseña escrita por Chris Byron para Marx & Philosophy, y otra más extensa de Darren Roso para Marxist Left Review.

[Andreas Chari · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a comprehensive biography (the first part of a trilogy) of Karl Marx's early life and a must-read for anyone interested in Marx's development.

My only complaint is that in his attempt to situate the developments of Marx's life within an accurate historical background and not create historical fiction as in other biographies of Marx, most of the book doesn't talk about him to the extent that the man who this book is supposedly a biography of becomes a side character.


I will wait for the second translated volume mainly because I am curious about how Heinrich treats Engels, his politics, and the rest of Marx's theoretical development, given that we barely get past his doctoral dissertation by the end of the book.

[Wagmi32 · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read. I found it both accessible and deep. Very responsibly cited, with clear justification for both style and format of biographical writing.