Marx and Engels on Spiritualism and Theosophy

Cari amici ed amiche.

Sul sito olandese "Stelling", ho trovato questo testo in inglese di Herman A.O. de Tollenaere:


"
Friedrich Engels (1820-1895)
There are several ways to look at relationships (friendly or unfriendly relationships) between occultism and political tendencies, such as Marxism. In this regard, Bruce Campbell has observed that "Esoteric and mystical sources have been identified as part of the intellectual background for Hegelian and Marxist thought."¹⁾ He did not elaborate on this observation, however, and neither will we. The statement must relate to indirect influence of pre-1800 ideas via Hegel. This concerns, however, an earlier age than the subject of this article. Nor does this article consider subjects later in history, like reciprocal opinions of twentieth century communists and theosophists in such countries as India and Sri Lanka; though that is part of wider research in which I am now involved.
This article is specifically about Karl Marx' (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels' (1820-1895) views on spiritualism and theosophy. They both embarked on their political careers in the 1840's, in the Communist League, an international organization, in which migrant German workers in England were heavily represented.²⁾
Nineteenth century spiritualism was a widespread, but not well organized movement. As is well-known, it began with the Fox sisters' claims to hear 'spirit rapping' sounds at their farm in Hydesville, New York, in 1848.³⁾
Nineteenth century theosophy started in the same American state: in New York City in 1875 Colonel (U.S. army, retired) H.S. Olcott, and Russian aristocrat Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (H.P.B; 1831-1891) founded the Theosophical Society (TS). They, and others from a Spiritualist background, wanted more coherent doctrine and organization. It was only since the 1880's (the decade when Marx died and Engels was in his sixties) that the Theosophical Society became sizable, first in south Asia, later in the U.S. and Europe.

Spiritualism

Marx and Engels, in their voluminous works, often referred to Spiritualism. On examination, all these references are brief to very brief. Some of them do not mention Spiritualism by name, but are jokes (for instance, by Marx in Das Kapital) about dancing tables,⁴⁾ "ghost-rappers, ghost-rapping shakers..."⁵⁾
Engels in a letter briefly put this movement into the perspective of U.S. society:

though the Americans ... have not taken over from Europe medieval institutions, they did take over lots of medieval tradition, religion, English common (feudal) law, superstition, spiritualism, in short, all nonsense, that was not directly harmful to business, and now is very useful to dull the masses.⁶⁾

So he thought modern spiritualism was unmodern. He tried to explain its recent rise only when he used the word "now", as he wrote about usefulness to the rich in their battle against the poor.
Longest was a ten page article by Engels called Die Naturforschung in der Geisterwelt-"Natural Science in the World of Ghosts".⁷⁾ Probably written in 1878, it was not printed during his lifetime; it first came out in an 1898 Hamburg social democrat calendar. It was not unlike T. Huxley's better known observations on credibility, or lack of it, of spiritualist mediums. The article in fact ended with an Huxley quote. English zoologists from the sphere of Darwin and Huxley were prominent among the adversaries of spiritualism. One of them, Ray Lankester (1847-1929), had American medium Slade, whom Olcott and H.P.B. had sent to Europe in 1876, sued in court for fraud.⁸⁾ Later, Lankester was one of the speakers at Marx' burial. Engels thought that "modern spiritualism" was the "emptiest of all superstitions." As an example of fraud, he cited the Holmes couple of Philadelphia. They had evoked the spirit of 'Katey King', an action that H.P. Blavatsky defended in the U.S. press.
Engels' article aimed at a sociological explanation only in that it asked what kind of scientist spiritualism was most likely to attract. Paradoxically, it concluded that the empiricist kind was more likely to than a priori theorists like German nature philosophers; Alfred Wallace and Sir William Crookes⁹⁾ were cited as examples of the former.

Annie Besant before Theosophy

For four years prior to her joining the Theosophical Society in 1889, Annie Besant (1847-1933) was, like Engels, active in the English socialist labour movement. At first in the Fabian Society, which was too moderate for Engels; later in the Social Democratic Federation (S.D.F.) -officially 'Marxist', but criticized for its sectishness- as well.
Although Annie Besant's biographer Nethercot¹⁰⁾ did not quote from Engels' works, he did mention him several times. He wrote on p. 235:

Certainly Mrs. Besant never darkened the doors of Engels' home, though she was the Fabian for whom he had the greatest respect, because of her influential pamphlets.

Engels did not forgive her earlier anti-socialism.¹¹⁾ He saw her as one of 'all those "dummy men and women"'¹²⁾ who played a part only while British workers were not confident enough for leadership from their own midst yet.
Engels wrote to German social democrat Kautsky on Annie Besant: "Mother B. always is of the religion of the man, that has subjected her."¹³⁾ Engels shared that idea with many beforeand after him. It was first said against her by W.P. Ball, a fellow freethinker who opposed her becoming socialist; Nethercot, and even her 1980's feminist biographer Rosemary Dinnage¹⁴⁾ tended to agree. I hope to write later on arguments against that view on influence on Besant.
Like Annie's supporters later, when she played a major part in India, Engels spoke of "Mother" Besant; but not in their complimentary sense. Engels complained that a review copy of the new English translation of his The condition of the Working-class in England in 1844 he sent to Besant's Our Corner magazine was ignored.¹⁵⁾

Theosophy

The only time Engels mentioned H.P. Blavatsky was in an earlier 1891 letter from London to Kautsky:

Do you know Mother Besant has joined the theosophists of Grandmother Blowatsky (Blamatsky). On her garden gate, 19, Avenue Road, now is in big gold letters: Theosophical Head Quarters. Herbert Burrows has caused this by his love.¹⁶⁾

These few lines in a private letter are all Engels (or Marx) ever wrote on the Theosophical Society. If he would have thought them important, he would have written more. Did he, apart from not really agreeing with them, underestimate them? My few lines are not enough to answer that question.
Originally published in Theosophical History, Vol. 4, No. 2. Apr. 1992; 45-49
 Notes:
1) Ancient Wisdom Revived (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1980), 13.
2) It had as its motto the words "All people are brothers." This was soon changed to the familiar "Workers of all countries, unite." Some 35 years later, the Theosophical Society, after its founders had gone to India, included Universal Brotherhood in its Objects. See C. Jinarajadasa, The golden book of the Theosophical Society (Adyar: Theosophical Publishing House, 1925), 343.
3) See Joscelyn Godwin, "The Hidden Hand, Part 1: The Provocation of the Hydesville Phenomena", Theosophical History, III/2 (April 1990): 35-43.
4) Marx saw the 1850's, after revolutions in Europe had been suppressed, as the times when "China and the tables started dancing, as the rest of the world seemed to stand still." Das Kapital, volume I in: Marx Engels Werke (MEW), vol. 23 (Berlin: Dietz, 1962), 85. "China" refers to the T'ai Ping uprising, from 1850 to 1864. All translations from German are mine.
5) MEW, vol. 18 (Berlin: Dietz, 1962), 99 (Engels, "Die Internationale in Amerika": 97-103). This article originally appeared in the German social democrat paper Der Volksstaat, (#57, 17 July 1872). "Shakers" refers to a U.S. Christian sect.
6) MEW, vol. 36 (Berlin: Dietz, 1967), 579. Letter to Friedrich Adolph Sorge in Hoboken. London, 29 November 1886; ibid., 578-81.
7) MEW, vol. 20 (Berlin: Dietz, 1962), 337-47.
8) See also Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The History of Spiritualism. Volume I (London: Cassell, 1926), 289ff. H.P.B. referred to this Lankester in her "(New) York against Lankester", which appeared in the Banner of Light on 14 October, 1876. See H.P. Blavatsky Collected Writings: 1874-1878. First edition. Compiled by Boris de Zirkoff. Volume I (Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1966), 221-25. Ibid., II, 217: HPB saw especially ‘Western biologists' as opponents. Ibid., III, 20: British theosophist G. Massey was Slade's lawyer in England.
9) Both would briefly become members of the Theosophical Society. See Josephine Ransom, A short History of the Theosophical Society, (Adyar: Theosophical Publishing House, 1938), 19.
10) The First Five Lives of Annie Besant. (Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1960).
11) MEW, vol. 36, 101. Letter to Laura Lafargue (Paris). London, 5 February 1884; 101-103.
12) Ibid., 710. Letter to Laura Lafargue (Paris), London, 11 October 1887; (708-710).
13) MEW, vol. 38 (Berlin: Dietz, 1968), 191. Letter to Karl Kautsky (Stuttgart). London, 25 October 1891; (190-1).
 Notes:
1) Ancient Wisdom Revived (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1980), 13.
2) It had as its motto the words "All people are brothers." This was soon changed to the familiar "Workers of all countries, unite." Some 35 years later, the Theosophical Society, after its founders had gone to India, included Universal Brotherhood in its Objects. See C. Jinarajadasa, The golden book of the Theosophical Society (Adyar: Theosophical Publishing House, 1925), 343.
3) See Joscelyn Godwin, "The Hidden Hand, Part 1: The Provocation of the Hydesville Phenomena", Theosophical History, III/2 (April 1990): 35-43.
4) Marx saw the 1850's, after revolutions in Europe had been suppressed, as the times when "China and the tables started dancing, as the rest of the world seemed to stand still." Das Kapital, volume I in: Marx Engels Werke (MEW), vol. 23 (Berlin: Dietz, 1962), 85. "China" refers to the T'ai Ping uprising, from 1850 to 1864. All translations from German are mine.
5) MEW, vol. 18 (Berlin: Dietz, 1962), 99 (Engels, "Die Internationale in Amerika": 97-103). This article originally appeared in the German social democrat paper Der Volksstaat, (#57, 17 July 1872). "Shakers" refers to a U.S. Christian sect.
6) MEW, vol. 36 (Berlin: Dietz, 1967), 579. Letter to Friedrich Adolph Sorge in Hoboken. London, 29 November 1886; ibid., 578-81.
7) MEW, vol. 20 (Berlin: Dietz, 1962), 337-47.
8) See also Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The History of Spiritualism. Volume I (London: Cassell, 1926), 289ff. H.P.B. referred to this Lankester in her "(New) York against Lankester", which appeared in the Banner of Light on 14 October, 1876. See H.P. Blavatsky Collected Writings: 1874-1878. First edition. Compiled by Boris de Zirkoff. Volume I (Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1966), 221-25. Ibid., II, 217: HPB saw especially ‘Western biologists' as opponents. Ibid., III, 20: British theosophist G. Massey was Slade's lawyer in England.
9) Both would briefly become members of the Theosophical Society. See Josephine Ransom, A short History of the Theosophical Society, (Adyar: Theosophical Publishing House, 1938), 19.
10) The First Five Lives of Annie Besant. (Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1960).
11) MEW, vol. 36, 101. Letter to Laura Lafargue (Paris). London, 5 February 1884; 101-103.
12) Ibid., 710. Letter to Laura Lafargue (Paris), London, 11 October 1887; (708-710).
13) MEW, vol. 38 (Berlin: Dietz, 1968), 191. Letter to Karl Kautsky (Stuttgart). London, 25 October 1891; (190-1).".



Vi invito a leggere anche l'articolo del blog "Mondomistero" che è intitolato "Marx era un satanista". Ora, leggete un mio articolo scritto sul mio blog ed intitolato "Caso intercettazioni il presidente Napolitano chiarisca!".
Il solito Pasquale ha scritto questo commento:


"Nel mio commento non c'è alcuna offesa verso la tua persona, a meno che non ritieni offesa la frase "non dire falsità".
Tu invece mi hai chiamato:

COGLIONE
VIGLIACCO
SENZA DIGNITA'

E tu sei quello che sa dialogare??? Tu dialoghi SOLO con chi la pensa come te, perchè quando qualcuno la pensa diversamente da te ti fa osservazioni tu ti irriti facilmente ... io non ho mai augurato la morte a nessuno, tu mi hai riempito invece di insulti in tutte le risposte ai miei commenti ... mi hai dato addirittura del satanista ... stai attento con le parole Gabriele... impara ad usarle!".

Ora, minaccia a parte, Pasquale mi ha accusato di averlo definito "satanista".
Ora, io non ho intenzione di demonizzare le persone ma di fare capire che il comunismo non è quello che molti pensano ma dietro di sé ha un lato oscuro.
Ora, Marx frequentò circoli massonici ed esoterici.
Il suo collega Friedrich Engels era collegato ai teosofi di Helena Pretrovna Blavatsky.
Ella aveva fondato la Società Teosofica, una società che negava le religioni, dicendo che esse fossero tutte eguali.
Questo fu il relativismo, tipico della visione massonica.
In questa visione, Dio poteva essere, il Dio giudaico e cristiano o  l'Ahura Mazda degli zoroastriani  ma avrebbe potuto essere anche il dio malvagio degli zoroastriani, Ahriman, una divinità pagana (come Baal, Horus o Zeus) o Satana oppure persino l'uomo.
In questo contesto si formarono Karl Marx e Friedrich Engels e in questo contesto essi formarono la loro dottrina, il socialismo scientifico, da cui derivò il comunismo.
Ora, proviamo a prendere alcuni punti del comunismo che si riconducono alle teorie sataniche.
Quando Marx definì le religioni un modo per distrarre l'uomo dai problemi reali e fare sì che gli sfruttatori continuassero a sfruttare i più deboli, egli disse un'altra cosa.
Egli disse che l'uomo era Dio.
Divinizzare l'uomo è un pensiero in sé satanico.
L'uomo non è Dio.
Egli non può essere uguale a Dio ma altro non può essere che un piccolo riflesso di Dio.
L'uomo ha tante cose buone ma anche l'ambizione, l'invidia ed ogni altra pulsione negativa.
Ora,  il comunismo non ha il concetto di Bene e Male.
Questo porta il comunista a non distinguere il Bene dal Male.
Il comunismo fa si che il povero invidi il ricco e che quindi ci sia l'odio tra persone.
Il comunismo nega il concetto di proprietà privata, favorendo però l'odio verso chi ha qualcosa.
Nella visione del comunismo tutti devono essere uguali e chi emerge, per proprie capacità deve essere distrutto, perché è visto come  una minaccia per la "società perfetta dei comunisti", una società senza Dio, una società che si vuole ergere a dio (anzi a dea) di sé stessa.
Questo porta l'uomo all'autodistruzione. 
Cordiali saluti.