Paul Lafargue (June 16, 1842–November 26, 1911) was a French revolutionary Marxist socialist journalist, literary critic, political writer and activist; he was Karl Marx's son-in-law, having married his second daughter Laura. Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Year 1842 ( MDCCCXLII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus" Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Literary criticism is the study discussion evaluation and interpretation of Literature. Activism, in a general sense can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change Jenny Laura Marx ( 26 September 1845 - 26 November 1911) was the second daughter of Karl Marx and Jenny von Westphalen. His best known work is The Right to Be Lazy. The Right To Be Lazy is an essay by Cuban born French revolutionary Marxist Paul Lafargue, written from his prison cell in 1883 Born in Cuba to French and Creole parents, Lafargue spent most of his life in France, with periods in England and Spain. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la For the languages see Creole language. For other meanings see Creole (disambiguation. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. At the age of 69, he and Laura died together in a suicide pact. A suicide pact describes the Suicides of two or more individuals in an agreed-upon plan
Lafargue was the subject of a famous quotation by Karl Marx. Shortly before Marx died in 1883, he wrote a letter to Lafargue and the French Workers' Party leader Jules Guesde, both of whom already claimed to represent "Marxist" principles. Year 1883 ( MDCCCLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Parti Ouvrier Français ( POF, or French Workers' Party) was the first Marxist party in France, created in 1880 by Jules Basile Guesde ( November 11, 1845 - July 28, 1922) was a French Socialist journalist and politician Marx accused them of "revolutionary phrase-mongering" and of denying the value of reformist struggles. Socialist Reformism is the belief that gradual democratic changes in a Society can ultimately change a society's fundamental economic relations and political structures [1] This exchange is the source of Marx's remark, reported by Friedrich Engels: "ce qu'il y a de certain c'est que moi, je ne suis pas Marxiste" ("what is certain is that [if they are Marxists, then] I myself am not a Marxist"). Friedrich Engels (28 November 1820 – 5 August 1895 was a German social scientist and philosopher, who
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Early life and first French period
Lafargue was born in Santiago de Cuba. Santiago de Cuba is the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island nation of Cuba His father was the owner of coffee plantations in Cuba, and the family's wealth allowed Lafargue to study in Santiago and then in France. A plantation economy is an Economy which is based on Agricultural mass production usually of a few staple products grown on large farms called Plantations The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la In 1851, the Lafargue family moved to Bordeaux — Lafargue finished lycée in Toulouse, and studied medicine in Paris. ( Gascon: Bordèu) is a port city in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city
It was there that Lafargue started his intellectual and political career, adhering the Positivist philosophy, and contacting with the Republican groups that opposed Napoleon III. An intellectual (from the adjective meaning "involving thought and reason" is a person who tries to use his or her Intelligence and analytical thinking, Positivism is the Philosophy that the only authentic knowledge is knowledge that is based on actual sense experience Republicanism is the Ideology of governing a nation as a Republic, with an emphasis on Liberty, Rule of law, Popular sovereignty Napoléon III, also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (full name Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (20 April 1808 9 January 1873 was the first President The work of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon seem to have particularly influenced him in this phase. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (ˈpruːd ɒn in British English, dɔ̃ in French) ( 15 January 1809 – 19 January 1865) was As a Proudhonian anarchist, Lafargue joined the French section of the International Workingmen's Association (the First International). Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i The International Workingmen's Association (IWA, sometimes called the First International, was an international socialist organization which aimed at uniting a variety Nevertheless, he soon contacted two of the most prominent figures of revolutionary thought and action: Marx and Auguste Blanqui, whose influence largely eclipsed the first anarchist tendencies of the young Lafargue. A revolution (from the Latin revolutio, "a turnaround" is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively Louis Auguste Blanqui (born February 8, 1805 in Puget-Théniers, France, died January 1, 1881) was a French
In 1865, after participating in the International Students' Congress in Liege, Lafargue was banned from all French universities, and had to leave for London in order to start a career. Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Liège (ljɛːʒ Older English: Luick, Walloon: Lidje, German: Lüttich; Latin: Leodium, Dutch London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. It was there where he became a frequent visitor to Marx's house, meeting his second daughter Laura, whom he married in 1868. His political activity took a new course, and he was chosen member of the General Council of the First International, then appointed corresponding secretary for Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. However, he does not seem to have succeeded in establishing any serious contact with workers' groups in that country - Spain joined the international movement only after the Cantonalist Revolution of 1868, while events such as the arrival of the Italian anarchist Giuseppe Fanelli made it a strong bastion of Anarchism (and not of the Marxist current that Lafargue chose to represent). The Glorious Revolution (Spanish La Gloriosa) took place in Spain in 1868, deposing Queen Isabella II. Year 1868 ( MDCCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Giuseppe Fanelli (1827-1877 was a nineteenth century Italian Revolutionary Anarchist.
Lafargue's opposition to Anarchism became notorious when, after his return to France, he wrote several articles attacking the Bakuninist tendencies that were very influential in some French workers' groups; this series of articles marked the start of a long career as a political journalist.
Spanish period
After the revolutionary episode of the Paris Commune in 1871, political repression forced him to flee to Spain. The Paris Commune (La Commune de Paris was a Government that briefly ruled Paris from 18 March (more formally from 26 March) to 28 May Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He finally settled in Madrid, where he contacted those local members of the International over whom his influence was going to be very important. Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain.
Unlike in other parts of Europe where Marxism came to play a dominant part, Spain's revolutionaries were mostly followers of the International's anarchist faction (they were to remain very strong up until the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s, and the subsequent dictatorship. Anarchism has historically gained more support and influence in Spain than anywhere else especially before Francisco Franco 's victory in the Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. Lafargue became involved in redirecting the trend toward Marxism, an activity that was largely developed under directions from Friedrich Engels, and one that became intertwined with the struggles that both tendencies had at the international level - as the Spanish federation of the International was one of the main pillars of the Anarchist group. Friedrich Engels (28 November 1820 – 5 August 1895 was a German social scientist and philosopher, who
The task given to Lafargue consisted mainly of gathering a Marxist leadership in Madrid, while exercising an ideological influence through unsigned articles in the newspaper La Emancipación (where he defended the need of creating a political party of the working class, one of the main topics opposed by the anarchists). Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. A political party is a Political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within Government, usually by participating in electoral Working class is a term used in academic Sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe depending on context and speaker those employed in specific fields or types At the same time, Lafargue took initiative through some of his articles, expressing his own ideas about a radical reduction of the working day (a concept which was not entirely alien to the original thought of Marx) started to make presence. Working time refers to the period of time that an individual spends at paid occupational labor
In 1872, after a public attack of La Emancipación against the new, anarchist, Federal Council, the Federation of Madrid expelled the signatories of that article, who soon went on to found the New Federation of Madrid, a group of limited influence. The last activity of Lafargue as Spanish activist was to represent this Marxist minority group in the 1872 Hague Congress which marked the end of First International as unitarian group of all socialists. Year 1872 ( MDCCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The Hague Congress was the Fifth congress of the International Workingmen's Association (IWA held in (September 1872) in The Hague Holland which anarchists consider
Second French period
Between 1873 and 1882, Paul Lafargue lived in London, and avoided practicing medicine as he came to lack faith on that science. He opened a photolitography workshop, but the limited income forced him to request money from Engels (who was an owner of industries) on several occasions. Photolithography (also called optical lithography) is a process used in Microfabrication to selectively remove parts of a thin film (or the bulk of a substrate Thanks to Engels' assistance, he again contacted the French workers' movement from London, after it had started to regain ground lost with the reactionary repression under Adolphe Thiers during the first years of the Third Republic. Reactionary (also reactionist) is a derogatory term usually used by the Left wing in regards to movements which oppose radical change in society and seeks a return Louis-Adolphe fr Thiers ( Marseille, 16 April 1797&ndash3 September 1877 was a French politician and Historian. The French Third Republic (in French, La Troisième République, sometimes written as La IIIe
From 1880, he again worked as editor of the newspaper L'Egalité. Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year In that same year, and in the pages of that publication, Lafargue began publishing the first draft of The Right to Be Lazy. In 1882, he started working in an insurance company, which allowed him to move back to Paris and re-enter the core of French socialist politics. Insurance, in Law and Economics, is a form of Risk management primarily used to hedge against the Risk of a contingent loss Together with Jules Guesde and Gabriel Deville, he began directing the activities of the newly-founded French Workers' Party (Parti Ouvrier Français; POF), which he led into struggle with the other major left-wing options: Anarchism, as well as the "Jacobin" Radicals and Blanquists. Jules Basile Guesde ( November 11, 1845 - July 28, 1922) was a French Socialist journalist and politician The Parti Ouvrier Français ( POF, or French Workers' Party) was the first Marxist party in France, created in 1880 by This page describes the political term "Jacobin" For discussion of the political organization of the French Revolution era see Jacobin Club. The Radical Party ( Parti Radical, Rad also known as Parti radical valoisien) is a liberal and centrist political party in France Louis Auguste Blanqui (born February 8, 1805 in Puget-Théniers, France, died January 1, 1881) was a French
From that moment and until his death, Lafargue remained the most respected theorist of the POF, not just extending the original Marxist doctrines, but also adding original ideas of his own. He also took active part in public activities such as strikes and elections, and was imprisoned several times. Strike action, often simply called a strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal by Employees to perform work.
In 1891, despite being in police custody, he was elected to the French Parliament for Lille, being the first ever French Socialist to be occupy such an office. Year 1891 ( MDCCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common This article is for the post-Revolutionary and present-day institution Lille (lil Rijsel is a city in northern France. It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in the country His success would encourage the POF to remain engaged in electoral activities, and largely abandon the insurrectional policies of its previous period. Rebellion is a refusal of obedienceIt may therefore be seen as encompassing a range of Behaviours from Civil disobedience and mass Nonviolent resistance
Nevertheless, Lafargue continued his defense of Marxist orthodoxy against any reformist tendency, as shown by his conflict with Jean Jaurès, as well as his refusal to take part in any "bourgeois" government show clearly. Socialist Reformism is the belief that gradual democratic changes in a Society can ultimately change a society's fundamental economic relations and political structures Jean Léon Jaurès (full name Auguste Marie Joseph Jean Léon Jaurès; 3 September 1859 31 July 1914) was a French
Last years and suicide
In 1908, the different socialist tendencies got unified in a single party after a Congress in Toulouse. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest Lafargue made his last stand in the gathering, fighting fiercely against the social democrat reformism defended by Jaurès. Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left
In these late years, Lafargue had already took his distance with any form of political activity, living on the outskirts of Paris, in the village of Draveil, limiting his contributions to a number of articles and essays, as well as occasional contacts with some of the most outstanding socialist activists of the time, such as Karl Kautsky and Hjalmar Branting of the older generation, and Karl Liebknecht or Vladimir Lenin of the younger generation. Draveil is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. Karl Kautsky ( October 16 1854 - October 17 1938) was a leading theoretician of Social democracy. ( 23 November 1860 – 24 February 1925) was a Swedish politician ( August 13, 1871 - January 15, 1919) was a German Socialist and a co-founder of the Spartacist League and the Communist It was in that house of Draveil where Paul and Laura Lafargue put end to their lives, to the surprise and even outrage of French and European socialists.
He wrote for that occasion:
- "Healthy of body and spirit, I give me death before the implacable old age, that has stealed me one after the other all pleasures and joys of existence, and has expoiled me from my physical and intellectual strength, paralizes my energy and ends with my willpower, making me a burden for myself and others.
- Since years ago I have promised myself not to surpass the age of seventy; I have fixed the season for my departure from this life and prepared the means to execute this decision: a hypodermic injection of hydrocyanic acid. Hydrogen cyanide is a Chemical compound with Chemical formula HCN
- I die with the supreme happiness of having the certainty that very soon will triumph the cause to which I have given myself since 45 years ago.
- Long live Communism! Long live the International"
Most socialist leaders publicly or privately deplored his decision; a few, notably the Spanish Anarchist leader Anselmo Lorenzo, who had been a major political rival of Lafargue in his Spanish period, accepted his decision with understanding. Anselmo Lorenzo, sometimes called "the grandfather of Spanish anarchism," was one of the original Spanish Anarchists. Lorenzo wrote after Lafargue's death:
- "The double, original and, whatever the rutinarians say, even sympathetic suicide of Paul Lafargue and Laura Marx [in Spain, women keep their maiden surname after marriage], who knew and could live united and lovers until death, has awakened my memories (. In most Spanish -speaking countries people have two surnames. . . )
- Lafargue was my teacher: his memory is for me almost as important as that of Fanelli.
- (. . . ) in Lafargue were two different aspects that made him appear in constant contradiction: affiliated to socialism, he was anarchist communist by intimate conviction; but enemy of Bakunin, by suggestion of Marx, he tried to damage Anarchism. Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin ( - July 1 1876) was a well-known Russian Revolutionary and theorist of Collectivist anarchism. Due to that double way of being, he caused different effect in those that had relations with him: the simple ones were comforted by his optimisms, but those touched by depressing passions changed friendship into hate and produced personal issues, divisions and created organizations that, because of original vice, will always give bitter fruit. (. . . )"
Works
- La matérialisme économique sociale de Karl Marx, (1884)
- Cours d'économie sociale, (1884)
- Le droit à la paresse, (1887)
- The Evolution of Property from Savagery to Civilization, (1891), (new edition, 1905)
- Le socialisme utopique, (1892)
- Le communisme et l'évolution économique, (1892)
- Le socialisme et la coquéte des pouvoirs publics, (1899)
- La question de la femme Paris, 1904
- Le déterminisme économique de Karl Marx, (1909)
- The Right to be Lazy
See also
References
- ^ Marxists Internet Archive, introduction to "The Programme of the Parti Ouvrier", Footnote 5. ---- The history of Feminism is the history of Feminist movements and their efforts to overturn injustices of Gender inequality. Access date: September 4, 2007.
External links
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