The Communist Manifesto

"The Communist Manifesto" by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels is a political pamphlet written in the mid-19th century, during a period of significant social and industrial upheaval. This influential work addresses the struggles between different social classes, specifically between the bourgeoisie (capitalist class) and the proletariat (working class), advocating for the overthrow of the capitalist system and the establishment of a classless society. It is widely regarded as a foundational text for modern socialist and communist movements. In the manifesto, Marx and Engels introduce their theory of historical materialism, positing that all of history is defined by class struggles. They discuss the emergence of the bourgeoisie from feudal society and its role in modern industry, which has led to the exploitation and alienation of the proletariat. The document outlines the inevitable conflicts that arise from this relationship, calling for the workers of the world to unite and seize control over the means of production. Ultimately, the manifesto argues for the abolition of private property and advocates for revolutionary actions to liberate the working class from oppression, emphasizing that the proletariat has nothing to lose but their chains. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Karl Marx was a German-born philosopher, political theorist, economist, historian, sociologist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His best-known works are the 1848 pamphlet The Communist Manifesto and his three-volume Das Kapital (1867–1894); the latter employs his critical approach of historical materialism in an analysis of capitalism, in the culmination of his intellectual endeavours. Marx's ideas and their subsequent development, collectively known as Marxism, have had enormous influence on modern intellectual, economic and political history.