Karl Marx the spot

how did this project begin?

I consider myself a collectivist and think there's a lot of valuable patterns and terms to learn from Marxist literature. However, I've always felt that the conclusions that Marx made function as over-intellectualized honeypots that justify authoritarianism and arrest social change.

Das Niel's critique of Marxism

a theory about ulterior motives

Given what I would call conclusions in the wrong direction, I began to suspect ulterior motives. Relying so heavily on systemic explanations made me question whether Marx was protecting individual choices from scrutiny. So I looked into Marx' ancestry, and nearly a month down the rabbit hole later, here we are.

from 1 connection to a network

the Levi Barent Cohen claim

This was all kicked off by a claim that Levi Barent Cohen was Marx' great uncle. That claim ended up being unproven, but it inspired the initial mapping of the Endogame Network.

a fun (and OCD driven) puzzle

Once I began mapping relationships and noticed how recursive the family structure was, building out the network became a sort of puzzle game. Finding pieces that fit became its own reward.

As the Endogame Network took form, the appearance of various surnames like Einstein, Schiff, and Warburg led to the attempts to build out to famous family members.

discoveries & conjectures

why Marx is still the center

I considered swapping to someone more relevant but couldn't think of anyone.

an exceptional convergence

While both Marx' mother and father have examples of endogamy within their ancestries, no crossing between sides has been discovered yet, making Marx' family a critical intersection of rabbinic and merchant dynasties.

recognition & ideological implications

Karl Marx is a widely-known historical figure, well biographed and with modern ideological implications. Not only does he function as good "clickbait", but his position within the ruling class calls his motives and biases into question.

source & motive honesty

Given the connections to modern institutions and centering around Ashkenazi Jewish families, it felt appropriate to clarify that this Network developed organically based on an investigation into Marx.