The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State

The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State (1884) is a provocative and profoundly influential critique of the Victorian nuclear family. Tracing the evolution of family units from prehistory to the present, Engels argued that the traditional monogamous house-hold was in fact a recent construct, closely bound up with capitalist, property-owing societies. Under this patriarchal system, women were servants and, effectively, prostitutes. Only Communism, Engels argued, would herald the dawn of communal living and a new sexual freedom and, in turn, the role of the state would become superfluous. Though it has since been criticized for its anthropological orguments, Engels's work influenced millions, both as an inspiration for feminists and as a justification for policies in countries such as China. It still resonates today as a fearless assault on sexual inequality. --