Marxology facts for kids
Marxology is a special way of studying and understanding the ideas of Karl Marx and a set of beliefs called Marxism. It's like being a detective who carefully examines all the writings and thoughts of Marx.
The word "Marxology" was first used around 1920 by David Ryazanov. He was a librarian at the Marx-Engels Institute in Moscow. His big goal was to publish all the writings of Marx and his friend, Friedrich Engels.
Later, during Second World War, a person named Maximilien Rubel brought the term "Marxology" to France. He was surprised that many people who said they followed Marx's ideas didn't actually know much about his life or his works. This was especially true for those involved in the French resistance during the time Paris was occupied.
Early Marxology in the Soviet Union
In the 1930s, official newspapers in the Soviet Union praised David Ryazanov for his work in Marxology. For example, Izvestia newspaper called him "the most eminent Marxologist of our time" in March 1930. Another paper, Pravda, said that under Ryazanov's leadership, the Marx-Engels Institute did "impressive work" in studying Marx.
Who Studies Marx?
Many scholars have studied Karl Marx's ideas in depth. Here are some of them who were mentioned in a review in 1982:
- Michel Henry: Wrote about Marx's ideas on human reality.
- Roman Rosdolsky: Studied how Marx's famous book, Capital, was created.
- G. A. Cohen: Looked at Marx's ideas about history.
- John McMurtry: Examined Marx's overall view of the world.
- Melvin Rader: Focused on how Marx understood history.
- Robert Kurz: Wrote about money and reading Marx's texts for today.
- Moishe Postone: Explored ideas about time, work, and power in society.
