Victor Farías (20 July 1940 – 6 September 2008) was a Chilean historian, writer, and professor known for his research on modern European intellectual history, particularly the life and works of Karl Marx. He held a doctorate in history from the University of Chile and taught at several Chilean universities, including the University of Chile and the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso.
Early life and education
Born in Santiago, Chile, Farías pursued higher education in history and philosophy. He earned his Ph.D. in history in 1978, focusing on the political and ideological currents of 19th‑century Europe.
Academic career
Farías served as a professor of modern history and political thought. His scholarly interests encompassed the development of socialist and communist movements, the intellectual biography of Karl Marx, and the historiography of the 20th‑century political left. He published numerous articles in academic journals and contributed chapters to edited volumes on European intellectual history.
Major works
Farías is best known for the book Marx’s Doctoral Thesis and the ‘Jewish Question’ (original Spanish title: El Doctorado de Marx y la cuestión judía), first published in 1999. In this work, he examined Karl Marx’s 1841 doctoral dissertation, arguing that Marx’s early writings contained anti‑Jewish sentiments that later influenced his economic and political theories. The book sparked considerable debate among Marxist scholars and led to a broader reassessment of Marx’s early intellectual development.
Other notable publications include:
- El juego del poder: historia del pensamiento conservador en América Latina (2001) – a study of conservative thought in Latin America.
- Las ideas políticas de los conservadores (2005) – an edited volume on conservative political ideas.
Controversies and reception
Farías’s reinterpretation of Marx’s early work generated controversy, particularly among Marxist historians who contested his methodological conclusions and the emphasis placed on anti‑Jewish elements. Critics argued that Farías extrapolated broader ideological implications from a single early text, while supporters viewed his research as a necessary corrective to hagiographic narratives of Marx.
Legacy
Victor Farías contributed to a more nuanced understanding of Marxist intellectual history and encouraged critical reassessment of canonical figures in political thought. His work remains cited in scholarly discussions of Marx’s early writings and the interplay between personal prejudice and scholarly output.
Selected bibliography
- Farías, Victor. El Doctorado de Marx y la cuestión judía. Santiago: Editorial Universidad de Chile, 1999.
- Farías, Victor (ed.). El juego del poder: historia del pensamiento conservador en América Latina. Santiago: Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2001.
- Farías, Victor. Las ideas políticas de los conservadores. Santiago: UC Editores, 2005.
References
- Biblioteca Nacional de Chile. “Victor Farías (1940‑2008).” Accessed June 2026.
- “Victor Farías, historiador chileno.” El Mercurio, 7 Sept 2008.
See also
- Karl Marx
- Historiography of Marxism
- Chilean historiography