Letter to Karl Kautsky, January 13, 1885

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 13 January 1885


First published, in Russian, in Marx-Engels Archives, Vol. I (VI), Moscow, 1932
Printed according to the original
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 47


ENGELS TO KARL KAUTSKY

IN VIENNA

London, 13 January 1885

Dear Kautsky,

I trust this will still catch you in Vienna. It was only a day or two ago that I received the 1st number of the Neue Zeit. Can you get hold of about 2 or 3 more copies for me? Having promised Rudolf Meyer my critique of Rodbertus,[1] I can hardly send him a copy — the poor conservative social muddle-head is on tenterhooks — without also doing Mme Lafargue and Tussy the same service.

I would also ask you to send me copies of the Poverty of Philosophy for the above. The thing is advertised as having 'appeared'.

Groß would appear to be a blockhead, though an honest one. I have nothing against the biography; if you intend to lambast him for his confusion over theory, I don't envy you your task.[2]

Give Frankel my kind regards. No doubt you will tell me what he is in fact up to.

The New Year's card he and the others sent me gave me much pleasure.

Well, that's all until you come over here.

Your

F.E.

With an editor like D[3] you wouldn't have stuck it even for a fortnight. Better to come over here, rather than make yourself yet another deadly enemy in the parliamentary group.

  1. ↑ The first issue of Die Neue Zeit, 1885, carried Engels' preface to the first German edition of Marx's The Poverty of Philosophy, entitled 'Marx and Rodbertus'.
  2. ↑ Engels is referring to the review of the pamphlet G. Groß, Karl Marx, Leipzig, 1885 being prepared by Karl Kautsky. The review was published in Die Neue Zeit, No. 6, 1885.
  3. ↑ Louis Viereck (Viereck = square in German)