Page 114 - History of Christianity - Student Textbook

Karl Marx, 1818-83, as founder of Marxism an influential political science which was highly
critical of capitalism. The ideology of Marx and Communism shaped the Twentieth Century.

Karl Marx was born 5 May 1818, in Trier in western Germany. His father was a successful lawyer
who had converted from Judaism to Christianity in order to help his law career.

At the age of 17, Karl Marx enrolled in the University of Bonn to study Law. He was not the most
diligent student, enjoying drinking societies and meeting friends. His father eventually had him
transferred to the University of Berlin, which had a stricter reputation. During his time at
University, Marx increasingly became attracted to radical ideas and philosophies. For a time he
associated with a group known as the ‘Young Hegels,’ those students who rejected the ideas of Hegel.

Karl Marx married Jenny von Westphalen, the educated daughter of a Prussian baron, on June 19, 1843. Shortly
after this, he moved to Paris to escape the censorship of the Prussian government who were increasingly
cracking down on left-wing agitators.

Paris in the 1840s was a hotbed of revolutionary activity. Here, Marx met many revolutionaries such as Frederick
Engels – an English radical. These two were to become lifelong friends and supporters; Engels would later
become the chief financial support for Marx.

Engels wrote an influential book The Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844. This helped Marx
develop his idea of a proletarian revolution. This led to Marx’s first work – Communism Economic and
Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844. This philosophical work sought to show Communism as a moral force for
good to overcome the alienation of labor under capitalism.

Marx also became interested in the development of history and the changes which inevitably passed through
society. He termed this idea – historical materialism. Marx increasingly began to believe that a Proletarian
(Communist revolution) was not just desirable, but, an inevitable consequence of historical evolution.

This period led up to Marx and Engel’s most famous work – A short pamphlet titled ‘ The Communist Manifesto‘.

Unlike the majority of Marx’s work, this Manifesto was short, to the point and included fiery, inspirational
language, designed to awaken the desire for revolution.

After the revolutions which swept Europe in 1848, Marx increasingly found himself under suspicion and scrutiny
from French and Belgian authorities. He decided to flee to London and continue his work from there.

In London, Marx became more involved with the burgeoning Communist Movement. He was influential in the
First Congress of the international, where he sought to argue against the anarchist wing led by Mikhail Bakunin.

Another influential event was the Paris Commune uprising of 1871, though defeated after two months. Marx
enthusiastically supported this as being a forerunner of future Communist revolutions.

Marx spent considerable time in the British Library researching political economy. This led to his deepest work –
Das Capital – a dense and thorough examination of Capitalist society and economy.

Marx also sought to examine all aspects of life from his new Marxist analysis. For example, he sought to show
religion was merely a tool of Capitalist society to keep the workers under the thumb.

Following the death of his beloved wife, Jenny, in 1881, Marx’s health deteriorated and died from Bronchitis and
Pleurisy in 1883. He was buried at Highgate cemetery London. (https://www.biographyonline.net/writers/karl-
marx.html)

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