The origin of the family, private property, and the state

Name: The origin of the family, private property, and the state
Author: Friedrich Engels

By Friedrich Engels

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About This Book

The author applies a materialist and anthropological framework to trace how early kin-based communal arrangements evolved into exclusive, patriarchal families, private ownership, class hierarchies, and the state. Using comparative evidence from prehistoric stages and classical and tribal institutions, the work links changes in production, inheritance, and marriage practices to the emergence of property rights, legal authority, and the subordination of women. Chapters compare gens systems, Greek and Roman developments, and Germanic transitions to show state formation as conditioned by economic and social transformations.

About the Author

Friedrich Engels

Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) was a German philosopher, social scientist, and political theorist, best known for his collaboration with Karl Marx. Together, they laid the foundations of modern socialism and communism. Engels's influential works include "The Condition of the Working-Class in England in 1844," which provides a critical analysis of the social and economic conditions of the working class during the Industrial Revolution. He also authored "Socialism: Utopian and Scientific," where he distinguishes between different forms of socialism. Engels's writings continue to be significant in discussions of class struggle, economic theory, and social justice.