Marx, Engels Feminist Thought

The study of Marx and Engels' thoughts about women's rights is put forward on the basis of "feminist perspective" that has become a necessary and inevitable trend, with the intention of heckling whether or not Marx and Engels' thoughts are "gender-blind".An inquiry into their texts indicates that their thinking has no lack of ideas concerning women's rights. Needless to say, their thinking on women's rights has evolved. The idea of women liberation grows up in the cradle of human liberation.The methodology that I adopt is to divide their texts by stages roughly and choose the classical ones. The text begins from Marx's graduation thesis in middle school up to Origin of Family, Private Ownership and State (1884) of Engel's. Among them are the texts On the Jewish Question (1844), Economics and Philosophy Manuscripts in 1844, Sacred Family (1845), German Ideology (1846), Communist Manifesto (1848), Das Kapital (1867). These tests represent the different developmental phases of Marx and Engels' thoughts on women's rights. Finally, in Origin of Family, Private Ownership and State, the idea of female emancipation takes shape and is expounded systematically.Because their thoughts about women's rights are systematic account, we can reveal the main content in three aspects.The evolution of the status of women: Engels believed that the matrilineal clan really existed in earlier period of the primitive society. At that time, women were not only free, but also highly respected. However, along with the expansion of private property, the male gradually occupied dominant position in social production and economic life of the family. Moreover, the desire for patriarchal heritage was stronger and stronger. Had to abolish matriarchy, and it was rescinded in deed. Engels pointed out that "The overturn of matriarchy is the great failure of women with worldwide historical significance".