Book Launch of *Marx’s Circle of Friends* Held in Beijing to Commemorate the 205th Anniversary of Marx’s Birth

On May 5, 2023, to commemorate the birth of Marx, the People’s Publishing House held a book launch for *Marx’s Circle of Friends*. This year coincides with the convergence of several important temporal nodes: the 205th anniversary of Marx’s birth and the 140th anniversary of his death, the fifth anniversary of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s speech “At the Commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Marx,” and the 130th anniversary of Comrade Mao Zedong’s birth. To help Party cadres and the masses understand Marx’s revolutionary interactions during his eventful years, and thereby deeply grasp the spiritual essence of Marxism, the People’s Publishing House planned and published the book *Marx’s Circle of Friends*.

2023年5月5日，为纪念马克思诞辰，人民出版社举办《马克思的朋友圈》新书发布会。今年，适逢马克思诞辰205周年和逝世140周年、习近平总书记发表《在纪念马克思诞辰200周年大会上的讲话》5周年、毛泽东同志诞辰130周年等重要时间节点汇聚之际，为帮助广大党员干部和人民群众了解马克思岁月峥嵘的革命交往活动，进而深刻理解马克思主义的精神实质，人民出版社策划出版了《马克思的朋友圈》一书。

*Marx’s Circle of Friends*

《马克思的朋友圈》

Based on authoritative historical facts and written in accessible, engaging language, this book tells the gripping and moving stories of Marx and his friends. Among these friends are Marx’s “second self” and “top-pinned friend” Engels, “starred friends” such as Heine, Wolff, von Westphalen, and Feuerbach—important intellectual partners—as well as comrades and students like Liebknecht and Bebel, and theoretical opponents such as Proudhon, Bauer, Lassalle, and Bakunin. The book includes over 100 images, presented in the form of WeChat Moments, [1]1 WeChat Moments (朋友圈) is a social media feature within the Chinese app WeChat where users share posts, images, and updates with their contacts. to show what Marx and his friends saw, heard, felt, and thought, enabling readers to truly understand Marx, approach Marx, and follow Marx.

这本书以权威史实为基础，用通俗有趣的语言，讲述了马克思和朋友之间跌宕起伏的动人故事。这些朋友中，既有马克思的“第二个‘我’”和“置顶好友”恩格斯、“星标好友”海涅、沃尔弗、威斯特华伦、费尔巴哈等重要思想伙伴，还有李卜克内西、倍倍尔等战友和学生，以及蒲鲁东、鲍威尔、拉萨尔、巴枯宁等理论对手。书中配有100余幅图片，这些图片以微信朋友圈的形式，展现马克思及其好友的所见所闻、所感所想，使读者能够真正读懂马克思、走近马克思、追随马克思。

The launch was held grandly at the Beijing Book Building. Deputy Director of the People’s Publishing House Ren Zhiqiang, Deputy Director of the Institute of Marxism at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Gong Yun, Professor Hao Lixin from the School of Marxism Studies at Renmin University of China, and Director of the Principles Department of the Institute of Marxism at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Yu Bin, along with other guests and scholars, attended the event. The launch was hosted by Cui Jixin, Director of the First Editorial Department of Marxist-Leninist Works at the People’s Publishing House.

本次发布会在北京图书大厦隆重举行，人民出版社副社长任志强、中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院副院长龚云、中国人民大学马克思主义学院教授郝立新、中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院原理部主任余斌等多位嘉宾和学者参加了本次活动，发布会由人民出版社马列编辑一部主任崔继新主持。

Deputy Director of the People’s Publishing House Ren Zhiqiang Delivers a Speech

人民出版社副社长任志强发表致辞

At the event, Deputy Director Ren Zhiqiang first delivered an enthusiastic speech, warmly congratulating the publication of *Marx’s Circle of Friends*. He noted that today marks the 205th anniversary of Marx’s birth, and with the publication of this book, we deeply commemorate Marx, discover and understand his circle of friends through this work, revisit the eventful years of his interactions with friends, and further grasp the course of his intellectual development, thereby better understanding, mastering, inheriting, and developing Marxism. He detailed the book’s compilation process, pointing out that it will help readers better recognize the fundamental principles of Marxism, integrate them with China’s specific realities and with the finest traditional Chinese culture, [2]2 This refers to the “Two Integrations” (两个结合), a formulation in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era that calls for integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the finest traditional Chinese culture. adhere to dialectical materialism and historical materialism, correctly answer the major questions posed by the era and practice, and always maintain Marxism’s vibrant vitality and robust energy. Finally, Deputy Director Ren Zhiqiang thanked the experts and scholars who compiled and reviewed the book, as well as the guests and readers for their strong support.

在活动现场，任志强副社长首先发表了热情洋溢的致辞，对《马克思的朋友圈》一书的出版表示热烈祝贺。他指出，今天是马克思诞辰205周年纪念日，我们以此书的出版发布，深切缅怀马克思，借此书发现、了解马克思的朋友圈，重温他与朋友交往的峥嵘岁月，进一步感悟他思想发展的历程，从而更好理解、掌握、传承、发展马克思主义。他详细介绍了此书的编写过程，指出该书将帮助读者更好地认识马克思主义基本原理，将其同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统文化相结合，坚持辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义，正确回答时代和实践提出的重大问题，始终保持马克思主义的蓬勃生机和旺盛活力。最后，任志强副社长感谢编写和审读此书的专家学者，感谢各位嘉宾和广大读者的鼎力支持。

Dialogue Session

对谈环节

Subsequently, host Cui Jixin engaged in a lively dialogue with Deputy Director Gong Yun, Professor Hao Lixin, and Director Yu Bin. The dialogue revolved around “Marx and His Friends,” with the guests discussing from different angles Marx’s interactions with his friends and the profound friendships between them.

随后，主持人崔继新与龚云副院长、郝立新教授、余斌主任展开了一场精彩的对谈。对谈环节围绕“马克思和他的朋友们”展开，嘉宾们从不同角度探讨了马克思与其朋友的交往，讲述了他们之间的深厚友谊。

Deputy Director of the Institute of Marxism at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Gong Yun Delivers an Exchange Speech

中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院副院长龚云作交流发言

During the dialogue, the host and attending guests explored how Marx’s personal charisma and brilliant ideas influenced many friends to embark on the revolutionary path and strive for human emancipation. Deputy Director Gong Yun cited the growth experiences of Liebknecht and Bebel, who, under Marx’s guidance, became pursuers and practitioners of Marxism. He emphasized that Marx’s circle of friends is not only a small world recording Marx’s life but also a grand stage displaying his worldview, presenting the theoretical foundations and guiding ideas of Marxism.

在对谈中，主持人和与会嘉宾探讨了马克思的人格魅力和光辉思想是如何影响了许多朋友走上革命道路，为人类解放而奋斗。龚云副院长列举了李卜克内西、倍倍尔等人的成长经历，在马克思的引导下，他们成为马克思主义的追求者和践行者。他强调，马克思的朋友圈不仅是记录马克思生活的小天地，也是展现他世界观的大舞台，呈现了马克思主义的理论基石和指导思想。

Professor Hao Lixin from the School of Marxism Studies at Renmin University of China Delivers an Exchange Speech

中国人民大学马克思主义学院教授郝立新作交流发言

Professor Hao Lixin introduced Marx’s intellectual partners and shared his views on the book *Marx’s Circle of Friends*. He stated that, on one hand, the book comprehensively presents Marx’s circle of friends, including the influence of friends like Engels and Heine on the development of Marx’s thought; on the other hand, the book is beautifully written, lively and engaging, and highly readable. Through reading this book, one can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the history of Marx’s thought.

郝立新教授介绍了马克思的思想伙伴，并且分享了他对《马克思的朋友圈》一书的看法。他表示，一方面，这本书很全面地展现了马克思的朋友圈，包括恩格斯、海涅等朋友对马克思思想发展的影响；另一方面，这本书语言优美、生动有趣，可读性很强，通过阅读这本书可以更全面地了解马克思的思想史。

Director of the Principles Department of the Institute of Marxism at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Yu Bin Delivers an Exchange Speech

中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院原理部主任余斌作交流发言

Director Yu Bin first recounted to the audience three short stories about the interactions between Marx and Engels, introducing their experiences of mutual financial support, the changes in their financial relationship, their joint revolutionary activities, and their evaluations of each other in their later years. Director Yu Bin emphasized that Marx and his friends shared the same aspirations and together pursued truth and ideals.

余斌主任首先向在场读者讲述了马克思和恩格斯交往的三个小故事，介绍了马克思与恩格斯相互资助的经历，以及他们两个人资助关系的变化，讲述了他们共同进行的革命活动以及晚年对彼此的评价。余斌主任强调，马克思与他的朋友志同道合，他和朋友们共同追求真理和理想。

Finally, Deputy Director Gong Yun provided a detailed introduction to the features and benefits of the book *Marx’s Circle of Friends*. He pointed out that by telling the gripping stories of Marx and his friends, the book presents a more three-dimensional and vivid image of Marx, showcasing his rich diversity in thought, scholarship, and personal relationships. *Marx’s Circle of Friends* not only helps us better understand Marx’s thought but also enhances our interpersonal skills and teaches us Marx’s character of adhering to truth and seeking truth from facts. [3]3 “Seeking truth from facts” (实事求是) is a core principle of the Chinese Communist Party’s ideological method, originally derived from Mao Zedong’s interpretation of a classical Chinese phrase.

最后，龚云副院长为大家详细介绍了《马克思的朋友圈》一书的特色和益处。他指出，这本书通过讲述马克思与朋友之间跌宕起伏的故事，为我们展现了一个更加立体、生动的马克思形象，展示了他在思想、学术和个人关系方面的丰富多样性。《马克思的朋友圈》不仅有助于我们更好地理解马克思的思想，还有助于提高我们的人际交往能力，学习马克思坚持真理、求实务虚的品格。

Group Photo of Guests

嘉宾合影

This book launch for *Marx’s Circle of Friends* offered an academic feast full of wisdom and warmth, enabling readers to gain a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of Marx and his friends. It is highly significant for further inspiring Party cadres and the masses to study Marxism, inherit and promote the enthusiasm for Marxism.

此次《马克思的朋友圈》新书发布会，带来了一场充满智慧和温情的学术盛宴，使读者朋友们对马克思及其朋友们有了更加深入、全面的了解，对进一步激发广大党员干部和人民群众学习马克思主义、传承和弘扬马克思主义的热情，深具意义。

Contributor: Li Bin, Institute of Marxism, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

供稿人：中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院 李彬

Deng Haodi, First Editorial Department of Marxist-Leninist Works, People’s Publishing House

人民出版社马列编辑一部 邓浩迪