Karl Marx and the Communist Manifesto: A Historical and Philosophical Analysis

Karl Marx and the Communist Manifesto

Historical Context

From a historiographic perspective, the contemporary period encompasses the 19th and 20th centuries. The 19th century, a period of significant upheaval, has been called the "century of revolutions," including those of 1830, 1848, and 1871. Karl Marx, a key figure of this era, emerged as a revolutionary thinker. The proletariat's misery fueled successive revolutions, generally inspired by liberal, democratic, anarchist, and socialist ideas.

Two crucial events marked the century: the French Revolution and the Napoleonic conquests. French utopian socialism, largely theoretical with limited practical political influence, was critiqued by Marx and Engels for its non-revolutionary character. They proposed "scientific socialism" as an alternative. Classical economics, pioneered by Adam Smith, posited that the economy operates according to market laws, individual interaction, and competition. Another key figure was David Ricardo. Marx criticized English political economy for primarily viewing humans as instruments of labor.

The Communist Manifesto

Published shortly before the 1848 revolutions, the Communist Manifesto, a pivotal work by Marx and Engels, significantly influenced these uprisings. The revolutions were largely driven by liberal and communist ideologies. Commissioned by the Communist League after its 1847 congress, the Manifesto appeared just before the 1848 revolution.

This work is part of a series where Marx and Engels outline historical materialism. Central to this concept is the idea that human history is essentially a history of class struggle. The Manifesto broadly advocates for the proletariat's revolutionary and potentially violent overthrow of private property.

Crucially important for the development of socialism and communism, the Communist Manifesto comprises four parts.

Philosophical Context

In the 19th century, Marx was a revolutionary philosopher, historian, economist, and journalist. He was deeply influenced by Hegel's thought and dedicated himself to philosophical study. During this period, Marx, along with other Hegelians, was significantly influenced by Ludwig Feuerbach. While sharing his disciples' critique of the division between civil and political society, Marx criticized Hegel's idealistic and reactionary state.

Throughout his life, Marx maintained respect for Hegel's intellectual prowess and his concept of dialectics, but he also criticized fundamental flaws, accusing Hegel of inverting the dialectic. The German Ideology marks a break from his earlier philosophical background, distinguishing between a young Marx influenced by German classical philosophy and a mature Marx who fully developed his theories, breaking with his idealistic past and embracing a scientific study of society.

From a philosophical standpoint, following the established chronology, contemporary philosophy encompasses developments during the 19th and 20th centuries. Marx criticized Hegel for conflating the real and the rational. His critique begins with Hegel's concept of reality. Accepting Marx's perspective reveals Hegel's view of reality as contradictory, dynamic, and processual. The 19th century, also marked by Romanticism, saw the emergence of Realism towards its end.