Was Marx Anti-Semitic?

To briefly clarify the misleading title, this post is not to explore whether or not Marx himself was an anti-Semite, as I cannot speak on that topic. Rather, I find it worth exploring whether or not his argument in “On the Jewish Question,” specifically his response to Bauer’s “Die Fähigkeit,” is rooted in anti-Semitic assumptions, and, more importantly, if it is, the extent at which that may discredit his argument.

After our tutorial and prior to reading the passage, Professor Hurley told Gabe and I that Marx’s argument is often considered anti-Semitic and people are quick to dismiss it as purely such. However, Marx’s key takeaway is not to be overshadowed by perceived anti-Semitism: that mankind as a whole must emancipate itself from an obsession with money. (To add my own disclaimer, this was my understanding of the preface to the existing dialogue around this topic and is not to be taken as Professor Hurley’s words or thoughts on it).

Marx puts forth a definition of “real and practical Judaism” that is objectively stereotypical and unproven: “What is the profane basis of Judaism? Practical need, self-interest. What is the worldly cult of the Jew? Huckstering. What is his worldly god? Money” (48). Marx then asserts that this same “practical Jewish spirit” has become that of Christians as well; that our world has become overrun with trade.

But what evidence does Marx have that society has become too engrossed in this “huckstering” beyond his assumption of truth in a Jewish stereotype? This “problem” for Marx has no legitimate evidence, making it difficult to see it as a problem. If I were anti-Semitic and viewed Jewish economic activity as something that negatively crowded the world (“negative” coming from the connotations of the term “huckster”), then I may be empathetic to this “problem.” But what audience does his argument have beyond that of the anti-Semite?