Lesson Objectives
To identify and understand the key features of Marxist ideology and summarise learning by creating a revision booklet for Marxism.
To identify and understand the key features of Marxist ideology and summarise learning by creating a revision booklet for Marxism.
The Communist ManifestoRead Article
The political principle of Communism were developed by Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) written in the book the Communist Manifesto (1847) and Das Kapital (1867) Writing by Marx was based on the materialist conception of history that he developed his theory that human history was largely determined by 'history of class struggles' between the ruling and oppressed Marx believed if the workers could successfully overthrow capitalism they could construct a socialist society ruled by the working class. This would be a new form of human society, Marx believed it would then eventually be possible to move to a communist society- creating a classless society, based on economic advances of industrial capitalism In the Critique of Political Economy (1859) Marx argued that the economic structure is based on the relations of production in any society- class own the economy, real foundation of any society Economic systems change inevitably over time from feudal, to capitalist, to socialist and finally to communist. Main Points of the Communist Manifesto:
Writing by Marx and Engels inspired and influenced many world Communist leaders
Shown above from left to right in a Chinese Commnuist poster, Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin), Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin (Joseph Stalin) and Mao Zedong Did you know
Karl Marx (1818) was born in the Rhineland's, which the French at the time occupied, during the Napoleonic Wars. Marx's opinions were too radical causing him to become a journalist, editor of the Rheinisce Zeitung (1842). His radical opinions prevented him from perusing an academic career and Marx questioned the validity of Hegel's theory of idealism (importance of ideas). Georg Hegel developed a theory on history explaining change:
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Cover of Capital: Critique of Political Economy by Karl Marx (Left) and The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (Right)
The concept of 'bourgeoisie' refers to those who left behind agriculture to concentrate of manufacture and commerce, over time causing a global expansion.
The communist clashed with the ideas of a hierarchy, the bourgeoisie had disproportionate shares of tax and had large numbers of controls and restrictions. Resulting in the French Revolution (1789) where the bourgeoisie overthrew the aristocracy and feudal state. The bourgeoisie created two new social classes, proletariats and owners, causing a social strain, as it became a profit-driven society that constantly needed to expand. The proletariats in society had no other ability but to work, and as expansion continued the tasks became simpler. The vagueness by the two writers allowed many revolutionary groups to pick and choose certain statements as inspiration. Also, it contains the infamous quote, 'the proletariat have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Working men of all countries, unite!' The Communist Manifesto is used as inspiration by many socialist parties, such as, the Communist Party of China and the Bolsheviks party, however, it is not the content and ideas that are infamous but the context and social significance of the book. The book depicts the social structures during the time as well as changed the way people interpret communism. |