About
Paul Lafargue, born in Santiago de Cuba in 1842, was a French revolutionary and socialist theorist. Trained as a physician, he abandoned medicine to devote himself to journalism and political activism. Married to Laura Marx, he translated the Communist Manifesto into French. A participant in the Paris Commune, he later went into exile in Spain and London. Co-founder of the French Workers' Party in 1882, he was its chief theoretician. Elected deputy in 1891, he was the first Marxist to sit in the French parliament. He is known for his essay The Right to Be Lazy (1880), a critique of the work ethic. He committed suicide with his wife in 1911.
* 1842-01-15 — † 1911-11-26
Major works
- Le Droit à la paresse (1880)essay
- The Evolution of Property (1890)theoretical work
- The Woman Question (1904)essay
- The Economic Determinism of Karl Marx (1906)theoretical work
Key milestones
- 1868Married Laura Marx, daughter of Karl Marx.
- 1882Co-founded the French Workers' Party with Jules Guesde.
- 1891Elected deputy for Lille, becoming the first Marxist in the French parliament.
Themes
Critique of the work ethicHistorical materialismSocialism and class struggleRight to be lazyWomen's emancipation
Sources: hup.harvard.edu · researchworks.oclc.org · lrb.co.uk