Karl Marx

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Karl Marx Friedrich EngelsFrom Socialism to
Communism

• Workers of all lands unite.The philosophers
  have onlyinterpreted the world in various
  waysthe point is to change it
• Inscription on Karl Marxs tombstone in London

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Socialist Origins
Christian Socialism
Co-operative Movement
Trade Unions
Utopian Theorisers
Early to Mid Nineteenth Century Socialism
Revolutionary Socialism
Democratic Socialism
Marxism
Anarchism
Socialist Parties
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Idea of Socialism

• Latin Socius Companion
• Fellowship
• Poor, weak and oppressed need
• Pooling of resources
• Redistribution of wealth
• Individual rights subordinated to Common Good
• Intra-Inter-Multinational Oppressors
• Natural opponent to Nationalism

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Roots of Socialism

• Christian Socialism
• Christian Doctrine
• Community
• Renouncing of personal wealth
• Selflessness
• Helping the Poor
• Sermon on the Mount
• Used to justify collectivism
• Protestant versus Catholic Competition

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Roots of Socialism

• Trade Unionism
• Collective bargaining
• Pay and conditions
• Artisans Guilds
• Horizontal Craft Unions
• Industry Wide Unions
• Vertical Unions
• Variety of ideologies
• Working Class base

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Roots of Socialism

• Co-operative Movement
• Protect members from being exploited by big
  business
• Manufacturing
• Eg Robert Owen
• Consumer
• Rochdale Pioneers
• Agricultural
• Peasant farmers agreeing to cooperate

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Roots of Socialism

• Utopian Theorists
• French Influence
• Inspired by French Revolution
• Tainted by French Revolution
• Variety of Ideas
• Model Communes
• Scientifically ordered society free from
  government interference
• State-funded worker controlled industries
• Egalitarianism
• Harmony

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Marx The Early Years

• Born in Prussia
• Middle class family
• Ancestors Rabbis
• Although he was baptised a protestant
• Doctorate in Materialism Atheism in Ancient
  Greece
• Hegelian
• Joins Young Hegelian Movement at Berlin Uni
• Historical Inevitability
• Replaces Hegels Spirit with Economic Materialism
• Rationalist rather than Romantic
• Prussians disallow his promotion at the
  University
• Journalist in Cologne
• Criticisms of Prussian rulers leads to
  newspapers closure
• Flees to Paris, 1843
• Joins socialist groups
• Writes his first communist ideas
• Economic and Philosophical manuscripts, 1844
• Meets Friedrich Engels

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Freidrich Engels The Early Years

• Bremen
• Wealthy family
• Cotton workers with concerns in Belgium and
  Manchester
• Sympathetic with Socialism
• Meets Marx in Paris 1843
• Moves to Belgium with Marx 1844
• Joins communist League
• 1848 1850 helps in Revolutions
• 1850 returns to fathers cotton mill in
  Manchester
• Supplies financial support for Karl Marx to
  undertake studies

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Marx and the 1848 Revolutions

• Belgium 1844 1847
• Studies History
• London 1847 1848
• Joins Communist League
• Publishes timely Communist Manifesto
• A Spectre is haunting Europe the spectre of
  Communism
• Let the ruling classes tremble
• The Proletarians have nothing to lose but their
  chains
• Working men of all countries, unite!
• Paris and Berlin
• Forced to flee back to England

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Das Kapital

• 30 Years of Preparation
• Engels provided finance
• British Library provided Research Facilities
• Dialectical materialism
• Aimed to create a Universal Theory of Human
  Society to complement Darwins Natural Theory of
  Evolution
• Mixture of ideas
• Materialist History
• Feuerbach
• Class Struggle
• Labour Theory of Value
• Saint-Simon
• Adam Smith
• Dialectical Progress
• Hegel
• Intellectualy dismissed
• Despite scientific rigour
• Emotionally Devastating
• Quasi-religion for the dispossessed