Letter to Hermann Schluter, December 7, 1887

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 7 December 1887


First published in: Marx and Engels, Works, First Russian Edition, Vol. XXVII, Moscow, 1935
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 48


ENGELS TO HERMANN SCHLÜTER

IN HOTTINGEN-ZURICH

London, 7 December 1887

Dear Mr Schlüter,

It would be best if you were to make up a volume of Shorter Papers, 1871-75 by F. Engels, as follows:

1. Article on Vogt, 1871, No. 38, 10 May[1]

2. Refugee Literature[2]

3. Tkachov's letter 4. [On] Social Relations in Russia 5. The Bakuninists at Work

We shall have to omit the Neue Rheinische Zeitung article[3] for in the first place it would today require an additional explanatory section (because of our Russian friends) and, in the second, I intend at some later date to bring out a collection of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung articles by Marx and myself. We might discuss this later on.[4]

Herewith The Bakuninists at Work with the paragraphs in Section III correctly numbered in the order in which they should appear. Would you kindly send this sheet for me to look at, so that I know what I'm about. The remaining proof reading can be attended to over there.

If you could get hold of one or two copies of the Revue of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung (complete), I will gladly pay for them. I have only got vols 3, 5 and 6, and should like to have 1, 2 and 4 as well.

You shall have the 'Mordspatrioten'[5] shortly: I am writing the introduction. I shall also try and put the 'Force Theory' to rights.[6]

As regards other matters, 1. Neue Rheinische Zeitung articles, see above; 2. Revue of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung—nothing that could do without an introduction and wouldn't be time-consuming; 3.1 have sold the Prussian Military Question to Meissner, with whom I cannot start a row, and much of what I say in it would be very difficult to understand today without a commentary.

After the New Year I shall have to tackle Volume III of Das Kapital, for which I must spare my eyes. Aside from what I have already undertaken, therefore, I can at present do absolutely nothing for you; I'm very sorry, but I have no alternative. As soon as this ms. has gone to press, and while correcting the proofs, I shall have time to spare for you, provided my eyes are all right again. But you must remember that I can only really write for a few hours each day and then only by daylight—often not to be had for love or money over here—and withal a vast correspondence!

With kindest regards,

Your

F. Engels

  1. ↑ F. Engels, Once Again 'Herr Vogt'
  2. ↑ F. Engels, Refugee Literature, IV
  3. ↑ F. Engels, 'Democratic Pan-Slavism'
  4. ↑ Such a collection was not published at the time; in 1894 the Social Democratic Publishers Vorwärts released a collection of Engels' works under the title Internationales aus dem 'Volksstaat' (1871-75) which comprised all the articles mentioned in the letter with the exception of Refugee Literature IV. Friedrich Hermann Schlüter also suggested that Engels include in the collection some of his articles from Die Neue Rheinische Zeitung, Die Neue Rheinische Zeitung. Politisch-Ökonomische Revue, as well as excerpts from his pamphlet The Prussian Military Question and the German Workers' Party.
  5. ↑ S. Borkheim, Zur Erinnerung für die deutschen Mordspatrioten, 1806-1807. Mit einer Einleitung von Fr. Engels, Hottingen-Zürich, 1888
  6. ↑ Engels replies to F. Schlüter's suggestion to revise three chapters from the second part of Anti-Dühring and have them published as a separate pamphlet. These chapters, under the single title The Theory of Force contained an explanation of materialist views on economics and politics. Engels subsequently changed his plan and decided also to add a fourth chapter on Germany history from 1848 to 1888 and a critique of Bismarck. The proposed title of the pamphlet was The Role of Force in History. Engels wrote this (fourth) chapter somewhat later, at the close of 1887 and in thirst three months of 1888. Having interrupted his work in March 1888, Engels must have never resumed it. This unfinished work of his, an outline of the preface to the pamphlet, the plan of the fourth chapter, as well as the plan of the concluding part of this chapter (this plan delineated the contents of the unfinished part of the work) are published in the present edition, Vol. 26.