Since only
critical
analysis of Karl Marx' work is written here, I decided to post this
biographical
WU. I think it's appropriate to briefly outline the man's life at least, until
someone decides to pen a better bio. Mind you, this is only a paper I churned out in 45 minutes out
for another student (
US $10, 1/3 more pages than required...
cha Ching.). Nevertheless, it's good to have some sort of
biography in the guy's own node. Without further
adieu I present...
The Life of
Karl Marx
Karl Marx was
one of the most influential thinkers of the 19th century. His
writings on philosophy and the role of the working class have influenced
billions of people all over the earth; including those in Germany, Russia,
China, England, and the United States. The ideas he put forth in his fascinating
and remarkable life have forever changed the world. Although he led a
controversial life with radical views, he managed to gain the admiration of
millions of “Marxists,” as they would come to be called.
Karl Marx was
born in Germany to a lawyer in 1818. Although his family was Jewish, his father
converted to Lutheranism. Marx went to school to become a lawyer as his father
had done, but he became interested in philosophy (as many Germans were at that
time), and left to study at Jena. German universities were the best in the world
then, a place of enlightened thought and diverse study. Marx was a proponent of
Socialism; however, he rejected the ideas of Hegel--the most prolific Socialist
writer of the day--as too wistful. Instead, Marx fell under the influence of the
Socialist philosophers of Ludwig Feuerbach and Moses Hess.
Karl gained
his PhD at Jena in 1841, and acquired his first major job as the editor of Rheinische
Zeitung, radical newspaper, in 1842. In 1843, the Rheinische Zeitung’s views
were seen as too revolutionary, and the publication was suppressed. Europe was
in a state of turmoil in the mid-1800s, and there had been several revolutions.
Radical ideas of the state and rights of the working class fueled many of these
uprisings, and many liberal forums for discussion were being exterminated. This
no doubt had an influence on Marx’ ideas and writings.
The
suppression of the Rheinische Zeitung prompted Marx to move to Paris, a
move that would change his life. In 1844, Marx met a man by the name of Friedrich
Engels, whom he would collaborate with until the day he died.
Together, Marx and Engels made a fantastic writing force. They shared a common
perspective in that of Socialism. Both Marx and Engels held the belief that the
worker was entitled to his equal part in society, both democratically and
economically.
Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engels joined the Communist League in 1847. In 1848, as writers for the Communist
League, Marx and Engels produced their most popular and
influential work, an essay called The Communist Manifesto. In it, the two
proclaimed that the proletariat (the working class) would inevitably come to
overthrow the bourgeois (the upper ruling class). The notion that the workers of
the world would overcome the ruling class was not a new one, because previous
philosophers had stated this. However, there was a new and intriguing element
Marx added to this theory. Instead of saying that it was the workers’ natural
right to be equal and overthrow the bourgeois--like Hegel and the earlier
philosophers--Marx stated that the workers’ triumph was a historical law of
inevitability. No matter what, he said, the proletariat will win. This was a
very radical and dangerous view to have at that time.
Marx founded
many revolutionary parties in the mainland of Europe, to help kindle and
encourage worker uprising. However, after the revolutions of 1848 failed, Marx
was exiled from most countries on the mainland. Marx was forced to move to London in 1849, where he would stay for the rest of his life. Left nearly
penniless from his constant relocation and small dividends from his writing
career, he had to take up work in less revolutionary field. He wrote on
correspondence for the New York Tribune, but that wasn’t enough. His
friend, Friedrich Engels, funded him for the rest of his life.
In
1864, Marx helped to found the International Workingmen's Association. With this
organization, Marx's ideas began to spread even more in Europe. The creation of
the IWA compelled Marx to write a comprehensive manuscript outlining his ideas.
With the editorial and monetary support of Engels, He came out with a monumental
review of his theories in 1867 with Das Kapital I . Later, he followed
Das
Kapital in three more volumes; which were edited and
published posthumously.
For the
remainder of his life, Marx was consulted on many Socialist party activities and
was considered to be the godfather of the workers movement. His views on
sociology and history were revolutionary, on level with the great minds of the
Enlightenment Age. Karl Marx’ writings have been the lifeblood of communist
movements for 150 years. He’s inspired Debs, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Trotsky, and
countless others to undertake the leveling of the class system. Karl Marx died in 1883, at the age of 65.
From Each According To His Abilities, To Each According To His Needs
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