[Park Chung-hoon's DotdanBook] 45 Years of Unpaid Housekeeping... See the Hidden Face of Marx

Paul Johnson's 'The Two Faces of the Intellectual'

Intellectuals Leading Modern and Contemporary History Instead of Religious Figures
Verifying Personal Histories to Determine if They Are Figures Worthy of Humanity's Following

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Who Abandoned Five Children to an Orphanage
Karl Marx, Who Never Visited the Workplace, and Others

The Many Faces of Intellectuals in 200 Years of History That Overturn Preconceptions
Today, We Must Discern the Wheat from the Chaff and Learn from Their Mistakes

The modern and contemporary history of humanity has been intertwined with the existence of intellectuals. They were not merely 'those who possessed a lot of knowledge.' They sought to shape vast ideological systems and move the world through dogma, commands, and persuasion.

From social reformers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712?1778), the 'father of intellectuals' who advocated the social contract theory, and Karl Marx (1818?1883), who discovered laws of human behavior in history, to literary figures such as Lev Tolstoy (1828?1910) and Henrik Ibsen (1828?1906), intellectuals shone like prisms, casting light from various angles in human society.

Paul Johnson, author of The Two Faces of Intellectuals, argues that intellectuals must be scrutinized both publicly and privately. The author, a historian and journalist beloved by the public for his sharp columns, holds hearings to question whether the intellectuals active over the past 200 years were truly people humanity could trust and follow.

The first subject of the hearing is Rousseau. The author assigns significance to him as the first modern intellectual in the true sense and the most influential archetype of intellectuals in many respects. Beyond the knowledge we underlined and memorized in middle and high school ethics classes?such as 'The Social Contract' and 'Emile'?let us look at the 'dark side of Rousseau.'

Madame Barance (right), who lived with Jean-Jacques Rousseau for 14 years. Paul Johnson, author of the book The Two Faces of the Intellectual, says she saved Rousseau from extreme poverty at least four times. However, after Rousseau became successful, he made various excuses and neglected her when she fell into poverty.

His life was miserable. Then, at the age of 39, he suddenly became a rising star in academia with a thesis that placed nature above science and art. Rousseau became a frequent speaker in French high society with a single thesis that caused a great stir. However, he constantly complained of self-pity and hypochondria.

It was common for him to change his words in self-defense. Although he suffered from insomnia, he was sometimes seen snoring and sleeping soundly. The author criticizes that behind Rousseau's self-pity lay tremendous selfishness. "He perceived himself as a person different from others both in terms of the pain he experienced and his own superiority," the author states.

Rousseau is the author of the world's most famous child-rearing book, Emile. Yet, he abandoned five children born to his partner Th?r?se in an orphanage. He persuaded Th?r?se to abandon the children, claiming it was 'to protect her honor.' Nevertheless, in his book Confessions, he defended himself by saying, "I have never been a heartless, unfeeling, or cruel father at any moment in my life." He even claimed that reflecting on his actions toward his children led to the formation of the educational theory advocated in Emile.

What about Marx? The author says, "If you read Capital, you fundamentally realize that Marx did not understand capitalism." This is because his work was unscientific and he never personally investigated the facts. Marx not only refused to enter the workplace himself but also despised charismatic revolutionaries who came from the working class.

The author criticizes Marx for only seeking facts that fit his predictions to prove that his theory was 'scientific,' unlike other fanciful philosophies and social theories. Marx merely sifted through newspaper reports and government documents in libraries to prove his conclusions.

For example, in the mid-1860s, Marx relied solely on Friedrich Engels's (1820?1895) The Condition of the Working Class in England (1845) to scientifically verify the capitalist labor environment. However, The Condition of the Working Class in England contains materials that Engels is presumed to have distorted to support his own claims.

An image composited with a photo of Karl Marx taken in 1875.

Marx fiercely criticized those who advised him. When his colleague Dr. Ludwig Kugelmann (1828?1902) advised, "If you live more systematically, there will be no (economic) difficulty in completing Capital," Marx declared a break with him and even hurled terrible insults.

Marx despised social reformers from the working class. He criticized labor leaders who valued practical solutions over theory. At times, he did not hesitate to use abusive language such as "childish and ignorant..." and "Jewish black."

Marx, who failed to manage money properly, was constantly harassed by usurers. The author says that Marx's intense hatred of usury was the true emotional driving force behind his moral philosophy.

Marx was a figure who raised his voice for workers' rights. However, he exploited his wife's maid without pay for as long as 45 years. Moreover, he never acknowledged the illegitimate son he had with the maid as his own child.

Tolstoy, while focusing on serf emancipation and religious salvation, frequented brothels. He regarded dating women as a social evil. Ernest Hemingway (1899?1961) created the ethical style of modern America but hated his mother and exploited his wife. Jean-Paul Sartre (1905?1980) advocated for women's sexual freedom but did not regard women as equal human beings. Bertrand Russell (1872?1970) was a paranoid who cursed those who disagreed with him.

The author says, "The important lesson left by our tragic 20th century, which witnessed the sacrifice of millions of innocent lives under the plan to advance human civilization, is to be cautious of intellectuals." Even today, intellectuals with 'two faces' abound. Our task is to discern the wheat from the chaff among them.

Meanwhile, The Two Faces of Intellectuals was first published in 1988. It was translated and published domestically in the 1990s. Last month, a special edition commemorating the 30th anniversary of its domestic publication was released. The author, who shifted from left-wing to conservative views, tends to be particularly harsh on intellectuals who influenced the rise of socialism.

(Written by Paul Johnson / Translated by Yoon Cheol-hee / Eulyoo Publishing / 22,000 KRW)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.