Karl Marx and Charles Darwin are two of the most influential thinkers of the 19th century, whose ideas shaped the modern world. But did you know that they also had a personal connection, albeit a brief and awkward one? Marx once sent Darwin a signed copy of his magnum opus, Das Kapital, as a token of admiration. However, Darwin never read the book, and barely acknowledged the gift, revealing an amusing insight into the dynamics between these two intellectual giants.
Marx was a German-born philosopher, economist, and revolutionary, who is best known for his critique of capitalism and his vision of a communist society. He wrote Das Kapital, a massive and complex work that analyses the economic system and its social and political implications, between 1867 and 1883. He considered it his most important contribution to humanity, and he wanted to share it with the people he respected.
One of them was Darwin, an English naturalist and biologist, who is best known for his theory of evolution by natural selection. He wrote On the Origin of Species, a groundbreaking and controversial work that explains how living organisms change and adapt over time, in 1859. He revolutionised the scientific understanding of life on Earth, and challenged the religious and moral views of his time.
Marx was fascinated by Darwin’s theory, and saw it as a confirmation of his own historical and dialectical materialism. He believed that both nature and society were governed by laws of development and struggle, and that both could be transformed by human action. He wrote to his friend and collaborator Friedrich Engels in 1866: “Darwin’s book is very important and serves me as a basis in natural science for the class struggle in history.”
He also wrote to Darwin himself in 1873, expressing his admiration and gratitude. He enclosed a copy of the second German edition of Das Kapital, which he had personally inscribed: “Mr. Charles Darwin, on the part of his sincere admirer, Karl Marx. London, 16 June 1873.” He hoped that Darwin would appreciate his work, and perhaps even endorse it.
However, Darwin was not very impressed by Marx’s gesture, and did not reciprocate his enthusiasm. He was not interested in politics or economics, and he was wary of the radical and revolutionary implications of Marx’s ideas. He was also not fluent in German, and he found Das Kapital too difficult and tedious to read. He left most of the pages uncut, meaning that he never opened them.
He also took a long time to reply to Marx’s letter, and when he did, he was polite but distant. He wrote in October 1873: “Dear Sir, I thank you for the honour which you have done me by sending me your great work on Capital; & I heartily wish that I was more worthy to receive it, by understanding more of the deep and important subject of political economy. Though our studies have been so different, I believe that we both earnestly desire the extension of knowledge, & that this is in the long run sure to add to the happiness of mankind.”
The copy of Das Kapital that Marx sent to Darwin is now a rare and valuable item, that reveals a fascinating story of two worlds colliding. It is currently on display at Down House, Darwin’s former home in Kent, which is managed by English Heritage. The book has been recently restored by Cambridge University Library, after being removed from exhibition due to its deteriorating condition.
Dr Tessa Kilgarriff, curator of collections and interiors at English Heritage, said: “We are delighted that this fragile volume has now been preserved and many more people will have the chance to enjoy it for years to come. It is the first major retrospective of Marx’s work in the UK, and a rare opportunity to see the full range and depth of his artistic expression.”
