How was Engels such a genius?

[Blanquist]

From a letter to Marx


I have made use of the opportunity to learn Persian. I am put off Arabic, partly by my inborn hatred of Semitic languages, partly by the impossibility of getting anywhere, without considerable expenditure of time, in so extensive a language — one which has 4,000 roots and goes back over 2,000-3,000 years. By comparison, Persian is absolute child’s play. Were it not for that damned Arabic alphabet in which every half dozen letters looks like every other half dozen and the vowels are not written, I would undertake to learn the entire grammar within 48 hours. This for the better encouragement of Pieper should he feel the urge to imitate me in this poor joke. I have set myself a maximum of three weeks for Persian, so if he stakes two months on it he'll best me anyway

Trotsky said Engels, beside his native German, which he commanded like a virtuoso, freely wrote in English, French, Italian. Could read Spanish and nearly all Slavic and Scandinavian languages.

Engels is my intellectual hero, I know I will never get on his level but with the internet, air travel, and all the modern knowledge etc., I have no excuse.

Trotsky said that Engels' philosophical, economic,
historical, natural, historical, philological and military knowledge
would be enough for a good dozen ordinary and extraordinary professors.

That's amazing. Engels was god among men.

[seventeethdecember2016]

The wretched Great Man Theory!

[Railyon]

No wonder; the bourgeoisie has the leisure for extensive learning even if they like to spend their time with useless crap usually.

[Pirx]

But you have to admit that he was outstanding. In his “first life” he was a very successful entrepreneur. Then he became co-founder of Marxism. While Marx’ humor was dry and more that of a grumbling bear, Engel’s prose was of great style, wit and irony.
He wrote on historical and cultural anthropological themes. And in his “Dialectics of Nature” he delved deep into physics, chemistry and biology.

[Obs]

But you have to admit that he was outstanding. In his “first life” he was a very successful entrepreneur.
Get the fuck out of here.

[Ned Kelly]

I think I love you Obs.

[Brosip Tito]

He ate all his vegetables.

[Crux]

*takes notes for when my time machine is finished: "Test Engels Swedish skills."*

[TheGodlessUtopian]

Sounds like a smart man, wish I had his intellectual prowess.

[Geiseric]

Lol, prowress. He had enough time and money to study these things, so he redeemed himself for being a Capitalist by founding Marxism.

[Kotze]

Engels was so bad at math that I think it's fair to call that a disability of sorts.

[Rooster]

Engels, indeed, was a cunning linguist.

[Dunk]

Engels, indeed, was a cunning linguist.

Yes, but you cannot deny Marx was a master debater.

[Fawkes]

Yes, but you cannot deny Marx was a master debater.

Well, during Engels's time in London, he gave many interim jobs to his impoverished colleagues.

[Kronsteen]

Engels was one of those immensely capable people with expertise in many different fields...who don't realise when they're making a damn fool of themselves in other fields.

A real polyglot, a good historian, and as good an anthropologist as the professionals of his time. He had solid basic knowledge of astronomy, physics and engineering - though he didn't know as much as he tried to imply.

And his mathematics was shockingly bad. I don't mean he couldn't add up, I mean he badly misunderstood calculus, irrationals, complex numbers etc.

It's a common problem. Someone who knows they're smarter than almost everyone else, starts to think it makes them a universal expert.

[Brosa Luxemburg]

That's amazing. Engels was god among men.

Face palm

Socialism is not a theology and statements like the above would make any socialist role over in their grave.

Principles of Communism (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/11/prin-com.htm)

[Brosa Luxemburg]

Yes, but you cannot deny Marx was a master debater.

I totally thought that this said something else because I read that fast, lol

[Pirx]

Of course he had his limitations. But he was serious and no imposter like Hegel.

[Dunk]

On second thought that was really a useless post. Sorry.

[Obs]

On second thought that was really a useless post. Sorry.
Never apologise for anything. People might catch on.

[Deicide]

He was nothing compared to the intellectual prowess of Comrade Stalin.

[Yefim Zverev]

He was nothing compared to the intellectual prowess of Comrade Stalin.

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSughs6ENnJmVthbRVGFYLILYl-7opkI_QlILUbGFd1dhrOOYQ6W0iBWeWj

[Revolution starts with U]

Engels, indeed, was a cunning linguist.


Yes, but you cannot deny Marx was a master debater.

I see what you guys did there :sneaky: :laugh:

[Bostana]

He was nothing compared to the intellectual prowess of Comrade Stalin.

Yes because that's what all of us 'Stalinists' think
:rolleyes:

[Obs]

Yes because that's what all of us 'Stalinists' think
:rolleyes:
I love how people who actually still give a shit about Stalin use rolly-eyes smileys the same way regular people use full stops. It's why y'all are so popular.

[Anarpest]

If having a rich family made intellectual achievement an easy task, one would expect a higher level of discussion on this website.

[WanderingCactus]

Have you seen pictures of Engels' beard at it's peak? It was grand. Surely it granted him power.

[Rooster]

If having a rich family made intellectual achievement an easy task, one would expect a higher level of discussion on this website.

Engels didn't do all that when he was 12 years old.

[Obs]

If having a rich family made intellectual achievement an easy task, one would expect a higher level of discussion on this website.
That's a nice horse. Aren't you worried about falling off, though? It's a long way down.

[Ocean Seal]

I love how people who actually still give a shit about Stalin use rolly-eyes smileys the same way regular people use full stops. It's why y'all are so popular.
What the fuck does this even mean.

[Obs]

What the fuck does this even mean.
What it says. Or, actually, the exact opposite. I get that sarcasm can be hard to catch over text, my bad.

[black magick hustla]

i don't think he was particularly creative. knowing an assload of things isn't that impressive i know a bit about history of typewriters and