Marx Towers over Spencer

In death, at least, his grave does.  In response to Jodi's remark about Marx's grave being across from Spencer's, I wrote:

Actually, it's Marx whose grave is opposite Spencer's (as Spencer was the far more influential contemporary figure). It appears to be the other way around because that's not where Marx was originally buried. He was initially buried down the hill and across the way, in an obscure corner of Highgate. In the '50s, a group of Marxists pooled their funds, dug him up, and had him moved to the posh section of the graveyard, up there with Spencer, George Eliot, Michael Faraday, &c. His monument is so much bigger, well, because those who moved him wanted to make a statement. (As did the various people who have tried to blow it up.)

Here's a stunning photograph of the looming bust of Marx (found here):

I note this to remind myself of its usefulness as an anecdote, if not in the Jack London chapter, then in my general introduction.  It neatly captures the belated, artificial elevation of Marx over Spencer as the foremost thinker of the late nineteenth century, but allows for the introduction of grand historical irony, inasmuch as Spencer wasn't the free market advocate most now consider him.  Terrible sentence, that is, but not an altogether terrible idea. 

Comments

[Kerry Wendt]

Ironically, all I could think of was this Marks and Spencer.

[The Necromancer]

The powerful specter of Spencer still haunts...

[Karl Steel]

Sort of deplorable that the(se) Marxists thought the way to honor Marx was to move him to the posh section. Pretty retrograde thinking.

[iain]

Moving Marx's grave?

...just another communist plot

(sorry - couldn't resist)