HIST363: Global Perspectives on Industrialization

Karl Marx

Karl Heinrich Marx (May 5, 1818 – March 14, 1883) was a revolutionary activist, a prolific writer and Marxism's key ideologue. Trained as a philosopher, self-educated as a political economist, and an organizer of the International Workingmen's Association, Marx became interested in social change during his university studies. Upon receiving his doctorate in absentia from the University of Jena in 1841, Marx was hired as editor of the Rheinische Zeitung, a German newspaper. There he championed the rights of peasants against the Prussian government in an editorial column. This led to his opponents accusing Marx of being a "communist" and to his being ostracized. Marx left for Paris where he continued to suffer accusation from the Prussian and the French governments.

Marx developed his revolutionary theories over a period of four decades beginning in 1843. He formulated his theories with the intention to liberate wage workers or laborers from the capitalist societies of nineteenth century Europe. He maintained that in order to emancipate humanity from economic domination, a social revolution was needed. The envisioned result would transform the existing economic structures, and create a society in which property, particularly the means of production would no longer be held privately. Marx's theories were developed in close collaboration with Friedrich Engels. Together they included an explanation of human alienation and dialectical materialism. Marx and Engels' vision was a purely materialist interpretation of human nature and development within nature that called for revolution. It represented a materialist view of history, based on the dialectic, that supported Marx's theory of political economy and his call for revolution. The interpretation distinguished itself because of its theory of surplus value, which asserted that the wealth of capitalist societies originates solely from the exploitation of laborers.

Marx's analysis of history saw human development as occurring due to a series of class struggles between the ruling class, those who possess the means of production. To Marx, feudal lords, land owners and capitalists were pitted against the ruled working class. This claim is summed up in the opening line of The Communist Manifesto: "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle". Marx predicted the demise of capitalism through a workers' revolution that would lead to a utopian "classless society" where, according to Marx, "people work according to their ability and get according to their needs" and "in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all".

His vision and ideals inspired Vladimir Lenin. Lenin embraced Marx's vision, but made certain adjustments in Marxist theories and practice and orchestrated the first communist revolution. Marxism, as understood and implemented by Lenin resulted in totalitarian control. Lenin's interpretation of Marxism is usually referred to as Marxism-Leninism.

Some argue that Lenin's views were inconsistent with Marx's view, however this is subject to debate. The dissolution of the Soviet Union, the largest of all twentieth century socialist empires in 1991, was preceded by the breakdown of Marxist regimes throughout Eastern Europe. This breakdown has been followed by radical reforms in other communist countries including China, Mongolia and Vietnam. The failure of Marxism or Marxism-Leninism was not primarily due to its misapplication by Lenin, Josef Stalin or others. It stemmed from the philosophical and scientific underpinnings of Marxism, including its militant atheism, its commitment to revolutionary violence, and its flawed economic theories.

Source: New World Encyclopedia, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Karl_Marx
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