Dr. Franz Oppenheimer, the Propagator Sof LiberalTSocialism By ISRAEL COHEN, In The American Hebrew

Dr. Franz Oppenheimer, who has arrived in favor of his idea but was opposed to its being turer at a German university, though he would New York to deliver lectures at the Johns Hop- tried in Central Africa, as he wished, and it was sooner sacrifice his appointment than his convic- kins and other universities upon the relations be- my opposition that led to the abandonment of tion. The main point in which he differs from tween immigration and wage-movements, is one the project. My own views were set forth in orthodox socialism is in allowing the fullest scope of the most original thinkers and productive 'Frieland in Deutschland,' with which I was thus to free competition. But, like Karl Marx, he is writers in the present generation of German eco- launched in 1895 as an economic writer." opposed to the land monopoly and he sees in the nomists. He has held the position of "Privat- From 1895 down to the present time Dr. Op- gradual abolition of this monopoly the surest dozent" or lecturer in political economy at the penheimer has written such an enormous num- road to the improvement of the material position Berlin University since 1909, and the popularity ber of books and essays and articles published in of the industrial worker. of his instruction is attested by the fact that he the leading European reviews that even to give It will be seen from the brief outline here has a larger number of students attending his a mere enumeration of their titles would fill given that Dr. Oppenheimer has written upon lectures than any other tutor in economics in:. the several columns of this journal. It must, there- every branch of political economy except finance, German capital, as many as fifty students taking fore, suffice to mention the most important and for which he confesses he has little personal in- part in his "Seminar." But for the simple fact to indicate their distinguishing character. His terest. He is the only economist in Berlin who that Dr. Oppenheimer is 'a Jew and would scorn most important sociological work is "Der Staat," regularly lectures upon the history of economics to shed his Judaism for material motives, the which has been translated into English as the and socialist theory, and he has for some years high reputation that he enjoys in the German "The State," by Dr. John Gitterman, of the In- been at work upon a History of Economics. It academic world would long ago have secured for terstate Commerce Commission. French and may be added that his "Die Soziale Frage" has him an appointment as ordinary professor at a Hungarian translations have also appeared, and been translated into Spanish ,and Dutch, and his German University. But religious considerations a Roumanian version is also to be published. His book on Ricardo's Rent Theory into Spanish, are still paramount in the land of the Kaiser in early interest in the question of co-operative set- whilst his large work, "The Theory of Pure and the filling of vacancies at the high seats of learn- tlements is shown by his monograph, "Die Sied- Political Economy" will also appear in a French ing. lungsgenossenschaft" (The Co-operative Settle- version, of which the first part has already been Dr. Oppenheimer will celebrate his fiftieth ment), which appeared in 1896 and in which he printed. A great number of his essays have also birthday shortly after landing on American soil, attempted to show how the communist theory been translated into Russian, Polish, Hebrew and for he was born in Berlin on March 30, 1864, the could be superseded by the establishment of agri- Yiddish, but these versions have been made with- son of Julius Oppenheimer, a Rabbi of the Re- cultural colonies upon co-operative principles. out his knowledge. Although Dr. Oppenheimer form Congregation. He belongs to a widely- His views upon the Malthusian theory of popu- occupies such a radical standpoint in the Ger- ramified family, most of whose members have lation are contained in "Das Bevoelkerungsgeetz man economic school he enjoys the esteem of become absorbed in Christendom, the most fa- des T. R. Malthus und der neueren National- other eminent economists of a more conservative mous of whom was the writer, Georg Ebers. oekonomie," published in 1900, whilst in the next type, and the celebrated economist, Professor Franz Oppenheimer studied medicine at the Uni- ten years appeared three other important works: Adolf Wagner, writes in highly appreciative versities of Freiburg and Berlin and obtained his the first on the fundamental law of Karl Marx's terms of Dr. Oppenheimer's theories of the State degree as M. D. in 1885. Two years later he theory of society, the second on David Ricardo's in his own article on this subject in that standard established a practice in Berlin and specialized Rent Theory and the third, which may be con- work, the "Handwoerterbuch der Staatswissen- in diseases of the throat and nose, but he soon sidered Oppenheimer's "magnum opus," his schafften." gave up his medical activity and devoted himself "Theory der reinen und politischen Oekonomie" Although the son of a Rabbi, Dr. Oppenheimer to literature and economics. In deserting medi- (Theory of Pure and Political Economy). It took no keen interest in Jewish questions until cine for literature Dr. Oppenheimer followed the may be safely stated that Dr. Oppenheimer is the the advent of Zionism, when he was approached example of other eminent Jews, particularly Max best authority in Germany upon the teachings of by Dr. Theodor Herzl in 1902, who asked him to Nordau and the playwright Arthur Schnitzler. Ricardo and likewise the keenest critic of the doc- devote his services to the economic sides of the Evenin the first year of his medical practice he trines of Marx. The little book in Which he Zionist project. At the Basle Congress in 1903 had already written, a novel, "Der Weg zur Lie- deals with the spiritual father of socialism "Die he read a paper in which he outlined the pro- be," which was followed six years later by a Soziale Frage und der Sozialimnus" has had a cess of colonization in Palestine, and before the drama "Foehn.' But his literary activity soon circulation of 6,000 copies within 'a short time. death'of Herzl, which took place July, 1904, it was wholly concentrated upon the economic Dr. Oppenheimer shows that Marx's theory of was half agreed that an experiment station sphere. value is based upon an incomplete deduction should be founded in Europe, if possible in Gali- In explaining the development that took place from facts, as he entirely overlooked the monop- cia a country farm conducted upon a co-opera- in his mind and his career, Dr. Oppenheimer re- oly value, and he maintains that the absolute im- tive basis, where experiences could be gathered marked to me: "In my medical practice I was manent value of products rests not upon the and where the laborers would be trained who constantly brought into contact with cases of con- amount of time occupied by labor but upon the would afterwards go to Palestine as pion- sumption and other diseases that I attributed to value of the labor itself. eers. Various circumstances prevented the exe- tad economic conditions. It was therefore nat- Dr. Oppenheimer's biggest work, "The Theory cution of this plan, and meanwhile experiences ural that I should be attracted to the study of of Pure and Political Economy," which reached were being accumulated in Palestine itself. But the source of so much human misery, and thus a second edition in seven years after publication, owing to the unsatisfactory progress made there began my study of economics. I may claim to be forms the first of the economic part of a still the Galician leaders of the Poale Zion induced self-taught, for I studied and mastered the larger work, "Liberal Socialism as a System Dr. Oppenheimer to resume his interest in the science unaided by any professor, and it was not of Sociology," of which all his previous works task of colonization and he accordingly went out until after I was a practicing physician for ten are merely chapters. The second part will be to Palestine in the spring of 1909 to study the years that I became an economist. Another fac- devoted to the philosophy and history of the state, conditions on the spot. He returned with the tor that weighed with me in my change of career and his monograph on "The State" will form a conviction that the founding of a co-operative was the strong socialistic movement that pre- chapter in it. The "Theory" recapitulates all settlement was bound up with difficulties, but vailed in Germany twenty-five years ago. I was that the author has written since 1896, but also that it could be carried out and in December, then 'a member of the Berlin Bohemian Club, expands the doctrine developed in his previous S1909, 'at the Hamburg Congress he submitted a where I came in contact with such original minds works. The ideal of society that he has elaborated report which aroused considerable enthusiasm as Richard Dehmel, now Germany's greatest lyric in these works, and to the ultimate realization of and led to the establishment of the "Erez Israel" poet; Gerhardt Hauptmann, Wilhelm Polenz, and which he confidently looks forward, is, in the Settlement Association with a capital of 120,000 others, and was thus impelled to take a keen in- term that he has coined, Liberal Socialism. Dr. marks. A third of the capital was subscribed terest in social conditions. Then I came in con- Oppenheimer is not a socialist of the Marxist by the delegates at the Congress, and the rest tact with the well-known Hungarian financial school and has never been a member of any was raised by Dr. Oppenheimer by means of an writer, Theodor Hertzka, who wanted to found socialist organization. Indeed, adhesion to such energetic agitation in Austria and Germany. Un- a communist settlement 'Frieland.' I was in an organization would disqualify him as a lec- (Continued on page 10)