A Study Of Engels’ Doctrine Of The State In His Later Years

Engels’ later doctrine of the state is a key component of the Marxist doctrine of the state,the intellectual content of which is an expansion and enrichment of his and Marx’s earlier fundamental views on the state.In his later years,Engels,on the one hand,on the basis of his revolutionary experience and in the light of the new changes in capitalist countries,gained a more concrete understanding of the question of the state and gave a positive account of the positive role of the state as the core superstructure in social services,proposing that the proletariat,in the transitional stage after seizing power,could speed up the pace of social development by "smashing" or abolishing the anti-people functions of the old regime and making full use of the social service functions of the state,and that the conditions for the complete abolition of the state would be available only after entering communist society,further enriching the Marxist doctrine of the state.On the other hand,in his later years Engels,by combining new materials from primitive society and applying the basic principles of the materialist conception of history to examine the development of primitive clan society,comprehensively and systematically demonstrated the complete process of the state from its emergence to its extinction,scientifically outlined the essence and functions of the state,presented the basic ideas of the Marxist doctrine of the state in a clear and complete manner,forcefully criticised the erroneous bourgeois view of the state,firmly adhered to the Marxist doctrine of the state under new historical conditions,and pointed the way for the international workers’ movement.The contemporary capitalist state has changed dramatically compared to the time of Marx and Engels,and with it comes various challenges from Western scholars to Engels’ late doctrine of the state,arguing that Engels’ late doctrine of the state is a direct transformation of Marx’s "assumptions" into "conclusions " This is contrary to Marx’s original intention and no longer suits the changes of the contemporary state.Some capitalist scholars have also defended the development of the capitalist state by misinterpreting Engels’ late theory of the nature of the state and the theory of the demise of the state by piecing together evidence out of context,arguing that social service is already the main characteristic of the contemporary capitalist state,and that the contemporary capitalist state will die out on its own and then transition to a higher stage,denying the role of the proletariat.In the face of these debates and challenges,a systematic study of Engels’ later doctrine of the state is essential.In this article,we start from sorting out Marx Engels’ early doctrine of the state,and we can clearly and concretely discuss the deepening and expansion of Engels’ doctrine of the state in his later years by comparing the process and basic contents of the historical materialist doctrine of the state created by Marx Engels in his early years.In his later years,Engels deepened his understanding of the state on the basis of his revolutionary experience,further clarified his view of the state through his polemics against false theories of the state,and systematically discussed the process of state development using new material from primitive societies,deepening and expanding the basic content of his and Marx’s earlier doctrine of the state.After clarifying the deepening and expansion of the doctrine of the state in Engels’ later years,it will be clear that Engels’ doctrine of the state in his later years is the perseverance and development of the Marxist doctrine of the state under new historical conditions according to the new changes in society,making a significant contribution to the development of the Marxist doctrine of the state,and then objectively expounding the historical significance of Engels’ doctrine of the state in his later years to the subsequent practical activities of the proletarian struggle,especially the establishment and construction of the socialist state,highlighting the historical value of Engels’ doctrine of the state in his later years.Finally,the valuable intellectual resources in Engels’ late doctrine of the state are examined in the light of contemporary reality,and the specific content of Engels’ late doctrine of the state is clarified in detail,which is conducive to a correct understanding of the nature of contemporary capitalist state development and a powerful response to the relevant debates.In this way,Engels’ late doctrine of the state continues to be vibrant and dynamic in today’s world,better guiding China in the new era in the construction of a modern and powerful socialist state.