Marx And Engels In The Communist Manifesto By Karl Marx
The Communist Manifesto, published in 1848 after commission by the Communist League, was a revolutionary political manuscript that served to both outline the goals of Communism and articulate beliefs that would later define Marxism. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, two German philosophers and political theorists, worked together to create a criticism of the class struggles and emerging capitalist economy produced by the Industrial Revolution. By addressing the increasing wealth gap between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, Marx hoped to galvanize the working class and plant the seeds of a revolution against capitalism. Marx notably theorized that class relationships are defined by the means of production, and that capitalism was vital to
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At the time of Marx, capitalism had yet to become a dominant economic policy across Europe. It is clear, however, that both Marx and Engels could see its expansion and growth over time. They give the reader a clear picture of the emerging capitalist economy resulting from the Industrial Revolution. It is described as “everlasting uncertainty and agitation” (Marx 17), painting a picture of the early capitalism as an unstable and fragile economic system. Both Marx and Engels seemed to associate the rapid rate of technological change and financial instability as a sign of impending social revolution. They compare the bourgeoisie to a sorcerer who has lost his grip on the powers he once commanded, unable to control the consequences of his actions. It gives the impression of an unstable class system tenuously clinging to a doomed economic market, which seems to imply that there was a true sense of hope of toppling the social hierarchy. To a modern reader, Marx seems either incredibly hopeful or somewhat naive to underestimate the impact of capitalism on the world. His reliance on the inevitability of socialism indicates that the true implications of capitalism were not yet clear during his time, or perhaps shows the strength of the people’s desperation political, social, and economic equality. The Communist dream of a highly centralized community free of social hierarchy or private property emerged directly as a result from the divisive class system of the time period. The Manifesto demonstrates to readers the most basic desires of the working class taken to new, revolutionary
At the time of Marx, capitalism had yet to become a dominant economic policy across Europe. It is clear, however, that both Marx and Engels could see its expansion and growth over time. They give the reader a clear picture of the emerging capitalist economy resulting from the Industrial Revolution. It is described as “everlasting uncertainty and agitation” (Marx 17), painting a picture of the early capitalism as an unstable and fragile economic system. Both Marx and Engels seemed to associate the rapid rate of technological change and financial instability as a sign of impending social revolution. They compare the bourgeoisie to a sorcerer who has lost his grip on the powers he once commanded, unable to control the consequences of his actions. It gives the impression of an unstable class system tenuously clinging to a doomed economic market, which seems to imply that there was a true sense of hope of toppling the social hierarchy. To a modern reader, Marx seems either incredibly hopeful or somewhat naive to underestimate the impact of capitalism on the world. His reliance on the inevitability of socialism indicates that the true implications of capitalism were not yet clear during his time, or perhaps shows the strength of the people’s desperation political, social, and economic equality. The Communist dream of a highly centralized community free of social hierarchy or private property emerged directly as a result from the divisive class system of the time period. The Manifesto demonstrates to readers the most basic desires of the working class taken to new, revolutionary