Primitive communism

[Post-Something]

Can someone give me exact quotes on primitive communism from Marx and Engels? I'm struggling to find anything with the books I've got and I need to hand in this essay soon...

[Junius]

Well, the thing is that they didn't write much on it at all (maybe owing to the lack of historical evidence on those societies at the time).

Maybe this:

In preceding forms of society this economic mystification arose principally with respect to money and interest-bearing capital. In the nature of things it is excluded, in the first place, where production for the use-value, for immediate personal requirements, predominates; and, secondly, where slavery or serfdom form the broad foundation of social production, as in antiquity and during the Middle Ages. Here, the domination of the producers by the conditions of production is concealed by the relations of dominion and servitude, which appear and are evident as the direct motive power of the process of production. In early communal societies in which primitive communism prevailed, and even in the ancient communal towns, it was this communal society itself with its conditions which appeared as the basis of production, and its reproduction appeared as its ultimate purpose. Even in the medieval guild system neither capital nor labour appear untrammelled, but their relations are rather defined by the corporate rules, and by the same associated relations, and corresponding conceptions of professional duty, craftsmanship, etc. Article (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1857/precapitalist/ch01.htm) on pre-capitalist societies by Marx.

[Post-Something]

Thank you that's very helpful actually :).

Actually, the whole article is very helpful. Apparently a lot of non-Marxists are claiming that it is quite probable that such a society existed as well, so hopefully I'll find something by someone else as well.

[ex_next_worker]

Thank you that's very helpful actually :).

Actually, the whole article is very helpful. Apparently a lot of non-Marxists are claiming that it is quite probable that such a society existed as well, so hopefully I'll find something by someone else as well.

This (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unilineal_evolution#Tylor_.26_Morgan) and this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter-gatherer#Common_characteristics) might be useful.

[mikelepore]

It was mostly Engels, who wrote "The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State" after Marx died (1884).

http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1884/origin-family/index.htm

It was based largely on the work of Lewis Henry Morgan (1877). I have copied out some of the paragraphs from Morgan that I think best define his theory:

http://www.deleonism.org/lewis-henry-morgan-ancient-society.htm

[Post-Something]

It was mostly Engels, who wrote "The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State" after Marx died (1884).

http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1884/origin-family/index.htm

It was based largely on the work of Lewis Henry Morgan (1877). I have copied out some of the paragraphs from Morgan that I think best define his theory:

http://www.deleonism.org/lewis-henry-morgan-ancient-society.htm

Actually, I've already read The Origin of the family..., I'm just looking for specific quotes as to how this eventually changed, where it happened etc.


Oh, and thanks Ex next worker :)
I've used some of that in my essay as well.

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

You might find this of some use, too:

http://pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk/isj65/harman.htm

[Alf]

http://en.internationalism.org/ir/081_commy_11.html

this is a study of the 'mature' Marx's researches into primitive communism, could be useful

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

Thanks for that Alf, looks interesting.:)

[Post-Something]

Wow, both of those are great links! I'm reading Rosa's right now, but I'll be sure to put some of Alf's in as well. Thanks:)

[mikelepore]

Actually, I've already read The Origin of the family..., I'm just looking for specific quotes as to how this eventually changed, where it happened etc.

What change was there?

[Post-Something]

What change was there?

Technological advances mainly. Engels outlines it all in the Savage-barbaric-civillisation thing and the analysis of the family.

I actually found The Part Played by Labour more helpful.

It's fine though, I've done that part of my essay now.