Introduction
Karl Marx was a German economist, historian, and sociologist. Marx got into trouble with the government when he criticized a new law that prevented peasants from gathering dead wood in the forest in an editorial he wrote. This was the start of his views, which were so radical and revolutionary that he had to leave Germany. His most comprehensive work was Das Kapital, translating to Capital in English it was published in three volumes and was completed by Engels after Marx died in 1883. In the Capital, he explained why capitalism, as an economic theory was so morally wrong that it would eventually destroy itself. In 1848, Marx and Engels publish The Communist Manifesto, where they ordered the oppressed workers (proletariat) to …show more content…
Marx believed that a violent overthrow of capitalism would lead to international socialism based on common ownership of land and capital. This would transform into an ideal state of communism, which is a worker-governed society based on the guiding concept “from each according to ability, and to each according to need” (Bolotta, Hawkes, Mahoney, Piper, 2002, pg. 58). This theory influenced many revolutions that would take place in the world. For example, the Russian Revolution in 1917, led by Lenin who said he has the philosophical heir to Marx (Schaff, 2009). Both Marx and Lenin are considered to be the two most important figures in the development of communism in the Soviet Union. Marx’s theory gave rise to each stage but consequently lead to a “dictatorship of the proletariat” (Schaff, 2009). Another example would be Mao Zedong in China, who stated himself to be an heir to Marx, creating Maoism influenced by Marxism. It was also communism versus capitalism that led to the Cold War (Burns, 2017). Communism helped governments create some equality within health care, education, military and industry. However, as a whole communism does not lead to greater equality or freedom as seen in Soviet Russia many people starved because there was no food to
Karl Marx was a German economist, historian, and sociologist. Marx got into trouble with the government when he criticized a new law that prevented peasants from gathering dead wood in the forest in an editorial he wrote. This was the start of his views, which were so radical and revolutionary that he had to leave Germany. His most comprehensive work was Das Kapital, translating to Capital in English it was published in three volumes and was completed by Engels after Marx died in 1883. In the Capital, he explained why capitalism, as an economic theory was so morally wrong that it would eventually destroy itself. In 1848, Marx and Engels publish The Communist Manifesto, where they ordered the oppressed workers (proletariat) to …show more content…
Marx believed that a violent overthrow of capitalism would lead to international socialism based on common ownership of land and capital. This would transform into an ideal state of communism, which is a worker-governed society based on the guiding concept “from each according to ability, and to each according to need” (Bolotta, Hawkes, Mahoney, Piper, 2002, pg. 58). This theory influenced many revolutions that would take place in the world. For example, the Russian Revolution in 1917, led by Lenin who said he has the philosophical heir to Marx (Schaff, 2009). Both Marx and Lenin are considered to be the two most important figures in the development of communism in the Soviet Union. Marx’s theory gave rise to each stage but consequently lead to a “dictatorship of the proletariat” (Schaff, 2009). Another example would be Mao Zedong in China, who stated himself to be an heir to Marx, creating Maoism influenced by Marxism. It was also communism versus capitalism that led to the Cold War (Burns, 2017). Communism helped governments create some equality within health care, education, military and industry. However, as a whole communism does not lead to greater equality or freedom as seen in Soviet Russia many people starved because there was no food to