AI Overview
Moses Hess was an early socialist philosopher, sometimes called the "father of German communism," who was a close collaborator of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the 1840s. Although he shared their commitment to Hegelian philosophy and dialectical materialism, his ideas diverged, leading to a split as Marx and Engels found his brand of socialism utopian. Hess later focused on Jewish nationalism and the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine, a movement that eventually evolved into Labor Zionism.
Hess's Early Communism
Influence on Marx and Engels: Hess was instrumental in introducing Engels to communism and helped to introduce Marx to social and economic issues. He helped convince Engels of the logical progression from Hegelian philosophy to communism.
Shared Philosophy: Hess, Marx, and Engels all drew from the philosophies of Hegel and Feuerbach and opposed other conflicting intellectual tendencies.
"True Socialists": Hess was a leader of the "true socialists," a group of German intellectuals who were influenced by Feuerbach.
Critiques of Utopianism: Hess's brand of socialism, particularly his emphasis on natural law and the "law of love" as a basis for society, was later considered utopian by Marx and Engels.
The Split and the Emergence of Zionism
Political and Personal Differences: Hess and Marx had significant political and personal disagreements, leading to a falling out by the end of the 1840s.
Rejection of Class Struggle as Sole Driver: Hess eventually began to view the struggle of "races" or nationalities, rather than solely class struggle, as a prime factor in history.
Rome and Jerusalem: Hess expressed these ideas in his 1862 book, Rome and Jerusalem, which called for a Jewish commonwealth in Palestine.
Inspiration for Labor Zionism: Rome and Jerusalem inspired later Zionist leaders, including Theodor Herzl, and Hess became a pioneer of Zionism.
Hess's Contributions
"Religion as the Opium of the Masses": Hess contributed the famous phrase "religion as the opium of the masses" to The Communist Manifesto.
First Book-Length Socialist Tract in Germany: His 1837 work, The Holy History of Mankind, was the first significant book-length socialist text published in Germany and showed the influence of Spinoza, Herder, and Hegel.
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