Friedrich Engels:
(28 November 1820 – 5 August 1895).
German philosopher, social and political theorist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best known for his lifelong collaboration with Karl Marx, with whom he co-authored The Communist Manifesto (1848) and developed the political and philosophical system that came to be known as Marxism. After Marx’s death, Engels served as the editor of his works, completing the second and third volumes of Das Kapital.
Anti-Semitism is the hallmark of a backward culture.
– ‘Antisemitism is considered a symptom of societal backwardness’ – that is, a sign that a society has lagged behind in enlightenment, political maturity, social progress, or humanity.
– “Characteristic” here means: characteristic, sign, symptom.
– It does not refer to “culture” in the sense of art or education alone, but rather to the ‘level of civilizational and societal development’.
– The statement clearly condemns antisemitism as ‘prejudice, scapegoating, and reactionary ideology’.
In short:
➡️ According to this statement, where antisemitism is strong, it reveals a lack of enlightened, modern, and humane societal culture.
👤 Author:
The saying is generally attributed to Friedrich Engels.
– Friedrich Engels
1820–1895
German philosopher, social theorist, socialist, and close associate of Karl Marx.
📚 Origin / Source:
The sentence is paraphrased or similar to Engels’ text:
> “On Anti-Semitism”
> written in 1890
In it, Engels addressed the political anti-Semitism that was then gaining strength in Europe. He considered it a ‘reactionary movement’ that did not truly explain social and economic problems, but rather used Jews as scapegoats.
The sentence should be described as a ‘political quote/aphorism’ – not as a classic folk saying.
🧠 Historical Context:
At the end of the 19th century, modern political anti-Semitism increased sharply in Europe. Engels did not see it as a progressive critique of capitalism, but rather as a ‘backward-looking ideology’ that projected social conflicts onto a minority.
His basic idea was:
– Anti-Semitism misunderstands social problems.
– It distracts from actual social and economic causes.
– He serves reactionary forces.
– He is a sign of a lack of enlightenment.
Terror, for the most part, consists only of useless atrocities committed by frightened people to appease themselves.
