IDEOLOGY OF KARL MARX

By Mark, Britney, Erik, and Trish

BACKGROUND Lived in the 1800’s (1818-1883)

was best known not as a philosopher but as a revolutionary communist

Published the communist manifesto in 1848

Has been credited for inspiring the creation of many communist states in the world.

MAIN IDEAS OF MARXISM 1. The Struggle Between Social Classes.- Marx believed that all the problems throughout history

were caused by a struggle between social classes.

2. The Critique of Capitalism- In a capitalist society there is an economic minority that

dominates and exploits the working class majority.

3. Promotion of a Proletarian Revolution- The working class must seize political power through a

social revolution, depriving the capitalist classes of material wealth and place society into collective ownership.

WHAT INFLUENCED MARX? Marx was living during the industrial

revolution. He was angered by the treatment of workers in Europe.

Conditions in European factories were very harsh and unsafe. Most often workers were exploited and had no real rights and received pennies payment.

This caused Marx to believe that factories and farms should be controlled by workers, rather than landlords.

HOW KARL MARX’S ACTIONS INFLUENCED HIS IDEAS Marx was a journalist by trade and put his

radical ideas into news articles and magazines

Journalism can be seen as an activist trade. This is why it was instinctive for Marx to speak out against what he thought was wrong, and demand revolution.

These radical ideas often got Marx in trouble with the law. He was deported from France and Belgium because of his works.

WHO INFLUENCED MARX Friedrich Engels- Worked alongside Marx

creating the communist manifesto, sharing his radical ideas.

Hegel- very prominent German philosopher. His views were widely taught and his students were highly regarded. Marx was one of his students and fell into the left-winged group of the class.

SOURCES http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/TUmarx.htm

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/marx/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Marx