1 The Blind Prometheus of German Social Science Eugen Dühring as Philosopher, Economist, and Controversial Social Critic JAMES GAY Dissertation zur Erlangung des Grads eines Doktors der Wirtschaftswissenschaft (Dr. rer. pol.) der Universität Erfurt Staatswissenschaftliche Fakultät 2012 urn:nbn:de:gbv:547-201400672 2 Erstgutachter: Prof. Dr. Frank Ettrich Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr. Oliver Kessler Datum der Disputation: 8. November 2012 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is a pleasure for me to acknowledge the assistance of several scholars who helped make this dissertation possible. At Humboldt University of Berlin, Wolfgang Hardtwig gave accord to my original master’s thesis on Dühring’s concept of history; Jürgen Grosse offered valuable help and input at putting together the concept for the master’s thesis; Volker Gerhard provided encouragement on researching Dühring’s philosophy, and I was able to give two presentations in Rüdiger vom Bruch’s evening colloquiums. I was very fortunate to make the acquaintance Ernst Nolte of the Free University of Berlin during my Grundstudium in Berlin; I thank Prof. Nolte for his interest in my topic, his encouragement during my years of research and for him having read the final English manuscript. The friendly exchange of ideas I had with Carl- Erich Vollgraf, a critical “Dühringkenner”, was also valuable for me. A special debt of gratitude is given to Jürgen Backhaus, who brought me to the University of Erfurt to take on a topic that many professors would deem too unconventional or unimportant. I am also very grateful to my friends Ingeborg Gössler, Fritz Becker and Henrik Hofer, who assisted my work in the Dühring Papers by reading letters written in the old German Current handwriting out loud to me, and Jean-Paul Strohner, who read the final manuscript and offered critical insight. There are two institutions that I would like to thank: firstly, the staff of the Staatsbibliothek Berlin Haus Eins Leesesaal for their quality work carrying out the countless book orders that I have had through the years and also Forschungsverbund Berlin (especially Max Born Institut and the Institute für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung) where I was able to work as a language instructor to support my research and writing. 4 To Andre Brown “Brownie” Moore (1911-1987) 5 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... 3 Abbreviation Index ..................................................................................................................... 9 GENERAL INTRODUCTION A Scholar Apart/Shifting Institutional Framework/Complexities of a Dühring Biography/Dühring and a Typology of Scholars/A Unification of the Contradictions PART ONE: THE ASCENT OF A CONTROVERSIAL SCHOLAR 1833-1877 Chapter One FAMILY BACKGROUND AND EARLY EDUCATION 1833-1868 1. Ancestry, Childhood, and Schooling ................................................................................ 27 2. University Years: Disappointment with “Pseudo- Historicism” ....................................... 31 3. Eye Illness, Decision to Become an Academic and Scientific Writer .............................. 34 4. Habilitation in Philosophy, Early Teaching and Publishing Success ............................... 36 Chapter Two CAREER AS AN ACADEMIC AND SCIENTIFIC WRITER 1868-1877 1. Brush with the Prussian Ministry: The Social Exposé Scandal of 1868 ........................... 40 2. Academic Accolades amid Mounting Conflict at the University ..................................... 43 3. Lectureship at Victoria Lyceum ........................................................................................ 50 4. Rising Influence in the Social Democratic Movement ..................................................... 52 6 PART TWO: DÜHRING’S WELTANSCHAUNG AND SCIENTIFIC BEARING Chapter Three PHILOSOPHY 1. Paragons: Comte, Schopenhauer, Feuerbach .................................................................... 60 2. Basic Concept of Philosophy ............................................................................................ 67 3. Epistemology and Metaphysics ......................................................................................... 70 4. Estimation of Life ............................................................................................................. 78 5. Critical Summary .............................................................................................................. 80 Chapter Four POLITICAL ECONOMY 1. Foundations: American School, List, Carey ..................................................................... 85 2. The Method of “Pure” and “Political” Economics ........................................................... 97 3. Practical Proposals .......................................................................................................... 100 4. Natural Law and the “Principle of Balance” ................................................................... 102 5. Critical Summary ............................................................................................................ 104 Chapter Five HISTORY 1. Paragons: Comte and Buckle ......................................................................................... 107 2. History as the Progressive Work of Nature ..................................................................... 114 3. History as Isolated Individual Striving ........................................................................... 117 4. “Critical History”: Concept and Works .......................................................................... 125 5. Critical Summary ............................................................................................................ 135 7 PART THREE: DÜHRING’S SYSTEM OF SOCIOPOLITICAL ECONOMICS Chapter Six EARLY GROUNDWORK 1. The Social Question ............................................................................................... 142 2. The Concept of Capital .......................................................................................... 144 3. Capital and Labor .................................................................................................. 149 4. Group Interests and Economic Power ................................................................... 152 5. The Prussian Social Exposé ................................................................................... 156 6. Critical Summary ................................................................................................... 158 Chapter Seven THEORETICAL PRINCIPLES 1. The Essence of Political Economy ........................................................................ 160 2. Methodological and Terminological Clarification ................................................ 162 3. Production and Distribution ................................................................................... 169 4. Valuation and Money ............................................................................................ 183 5. Critical Summary ................................................................................................... 187 Chapter Eight SOCIAL IMPERATIVE 1. Towards a Post-Utopian Socialism ........................................................................ 191 2. Advancement of Labor through “Conscious Strength” ......................................... 197 3. Liberation from Criminal Government .................................................................. 202 4. “Universal Socialization” of Living Conditions .................................................... 208 5. Critical Summary ................................................................................................... 214 Chapter Nine CONSEQUENCES 1. The Emancipatory Process .................................................................................... 218 2. Equality and the Postulate of Destruction ............................................................. 221 3. A Revised Framework of Left-Liberalism ............................................................ 224 8 PART FOUR: THE DESCENT INTO ISOLATION AND OBSCURITY 1877-1921 Chapter Ten FIGHTING ON ALL FRONTS (1877-1899) 1. Remotion and the Student Protest Movement ....................................................... 229 2. From Friend to Foe of the Social Democrats ......................................................... 233 3. New Phase of Productivity amid Trials and Tribulations ...................................... 238 4. Dühring Movement of the 1890s:“Sozialitärer Bund” and “Der Moderne Völkergeist” .......................................................................................................... 244 Chapter Eleven BEYOND ALL CONTROVERSY (1899-1921) 1. Personalist und Emancipator ................................................................................. 248 2. The Turn to Extreme Individualism ...................................................................... 252 3. Dühringianism at Work ......................................................................................... 258 4. The Will to “Die Completely” ............................................................................... 260 CONCLUSION AND PROSPECTUS Discrepancy and Consistency/The Crisis of the Mind/ Socialism Proper/ Dühring and the Current Age Appendices ............................................................................................................................ 274 I