London, 26 April 1884

Dear Kautsky,

I had made up my mind and told everyone here that I would play a trick on Bismarck and write something (Morgan) !7* that he would

positively be unable to ban. But with the best will in the world I found it impossible. The chapter on monogamy and the final chapter on private ownership as the source of class antagonisms and also as the detonator that exploded the old communal system I find absolutely zmpossible to couch in such a way as to comply with the Anti- Socialist Law.?7 As Luther said: Let the devil come and fetch me, I cannot do otherwise.?!*

Nor would there be any point in the thing if I intended to write merely an ‘objective’ review and not deal with Morgan critically, if I did not try to evaluate the results recently achieved or present them in the light of our views and of what has already been achieved. Our workers would get nothing out of it. So— good and necessarily banned, or— permitted and execrable. The latter I cannot do.

I shall probably (Schorlemmer is here again until Monday“) be finished next week. It will amount to a full 4 sheets or more. If you are then willing to risk publishing it in the Neue Zeit (after you have read it) may any blood that is spilt as a result be on your own heads and don’t blame me afterwards. If you are sensible, however, and do not wish to jeopardise the whole periodical for the sake of one article, you will do better to print it as a pamphlet either in Zurich or in the same way as Frau.'? But that is your own look-out.

I think the thing will have a particularly important bearing on our general view. Morgan enables us to present entirely new aspects by providing us, in the shape of prehistory, with a factual basis we have hitherto lacked. Whatever doubts you may still entertain about individual primitives and ‘savages’, with the gens the case has been large- ly resolved and prehistory elucidated. And that is why the thing should be thoroughly worked on, properly weighed ‘up and presented as a coherent whole— but also dealt with without regard for the AntiSocialist Law.

And there’s another most important point: I must show how brilliantly Fourier has anticipated Morgan in so many things. It is thanks to Morgan that for the first time the brilliance of Fourier’s critique of civilisation really comes across. And that will mean a lot of work.”

I hope you got the letter I wrote on Monday on the subject of the

new editions.* Will you make sure that absolutely nothing is set up in type before my ms. arrives. The Peasant War is being completely rewritten.?!3 In the case of Dihring, the alterations, etc., made to the Socialism: Utopian and Scientific have to be inserted right at the beginning, there’s a great deal-to be corrected and some more stuff to be put in.

Apropos. I have here approx. 50 copies of Dihring. If you can use them I shall send them off at once, but you must tell me by what route, so that they don’t go via Germany and get seized. They will certainly know about that over there. Let me have as full details as possible.

Your

F.E.