Letter to Sibylle Hess, November 29, 1877

Author(s) Karl Marx
Written 29 November 1877


First published in Vorwärts, Nr. 67, Basel, 9. Februar 1930, Beilage
Printed according to the original
Published in English for the first time in: K. Marx, On History and People. Arranged and edited, with an introduction and new translations, by Saul K. Padover, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, [1977]
Reproduced in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 45


MARX TO SIBYLLE HESS

IN PARIS

London, 29 November 1877
41 Maitland Park Road, N. W.

Dear Mrs Hess,

Both I and Engels have been absent from London for some considerable time and, after returning, I necessarily had first to read our late friend's book,[1] before being in a position to write to you.

Engels and I thank you very much for sending the same. In so far as we have any influence, we shall endeavour to disseminate it. It contains some brilliant notions but unfortunately—no doubt because Hess could not put the finishing touches to it—there are quite a number of dubious points that lend themselves to attack by professional natural scientists.

Wishing you the best of success, I remain

Yours sincerely,

Karl Marx

  1. Marx received the first part of Moses Hess' work Dynamische Stofflehre. I. Kosmischer Theil, Paris, 1877. The work was to have two more parts: the organic (Organischer Teil) and the social (Sozialer Teil). Nothing is known about the publication of the last two parts.