KARL MARX

PARIS 69
itself, whether it appears in a religious or political form. It will then be
clear that the world has long dreamt of something of which it only
needs a fully developed consciousness in order really to possess it.
Clearly, the problem does not lie in filling some great void between
past ideas and those of the future but in the completion of ideas of
the past. Finally, it will be clear that humanity is not beginning a new
work, but consciously bringing its old work to completion.
So we can summarise the purpose of our journal in one word: selfunderstanding
(meaning critical philosophy) by our age of its struggles
and desires. This is a task for the world and for us. It can only be
achieved by united forces. What is at stake is a confession, nothing
more. To have its sins forgiven, humanity needs only to recognise them
as they are. 55
1'his notion of salvation through a 'reform of consciousness' was, of
course, very idealistic. But this was merely typical of German philosophy
at this time. Marx himself was very mindful of the intellectual disarray
among the radicals, and wrote to Ruge soon after finishing his critique
of Hegel: 'even though the "whence" is not in doubt, yet all the more
confusion reigns over the "whither". It is not only that a general anarchy
has pervaded the reformers. Everyone will have to admit to himself that
he has no exact view of what should happen'. 36 It was the intellectual
climate of Paris that finally led Marx to make the transition from the
realm of pure theory to the world of immediate, practical politics.
II. THE DEUTSCH-FRANZOSISCHE JAHRBUCHER
While Marx was in Kreuznach writing his commentary on Hegel's politics,
Ruge had been busy organising the administration of the Deutsch-Franztisische
Jahrbiicher. To finance it, he tried to float a large loan in Germany:
when this failed completely he bore virtually the whole cost of publication
himself. As a place of publication Strasbourg (which they had previously
favoured) was rejected, and Froebel proposed that he and Ruge together
go to Brussels and Paris to see which city would be more suitable. At the
end of July Ruge travelled west, stopped at Kreuznach to see Marx, and
then, joining forces with Hess and Froebel at Cologne, went on to
Belgium. Brussels also proved unsatisfactory, for - though its Press
enjoyed comparative freedom - the city was too small and not politicallyminded.
So in August (1843) Hess and Ruge moved on to Paris with a
view to establishing the Deutsch-Franzosische Jahrbiicher there.
It proved difficult to attract contributors - especially ones with a
common viewpoint: both Ruge and Froebel were very active in trying to