Karl Marx

Marx is famous as "the father of modern communism".

Karl Marx was born in Germany to Jewish parents. His father was a successful lawyer. Educated at home until he was 13, he attended university in Bonn and later Berlin. In Paris, he met Frederich Engels who became his lifelong friend. Engels book, The Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844, convinced Marx that the working class would change the world. He continued to study history and philosophy and went on to write many books, including The Communist Manifesto that was co-written with Engels.

Marx's ideas formed the foundation of communism in the Soviet Union, China and other parts of the world.

Main Ideas

• The history of society is the history of class struggle.
• Revolution is necessary and the working class will emerge victorious.
• Capitalism will fail eventually, to be replaced with "scientific socialism" with a stateless, classless society in which
  • the state owns the means of production
  • individuals will not own property
  • heavy taxes will be imposed on high incomes
  • wealth cannot be inherited
  • people who leave the country will lose their property
  • everyone must work
  • education will be free for all
  • communication, banking, and transportation will be controlled by the government

Famous Works

• The Communist Manifesto
• Das Kapital

Intersting Trivia

Marx was president of his university's drinking club at one point. He had seven legitimate children, four of them named after his wife Jenny, and one illegtiimate child with his long-standing housekeeper. When she died, she was buried in the Marx family grave according to Jenny Marx's wishes.