Marx And Engels: The Radical Movement And Art Movements

At the core of radicalism is the desire for change in society and reformation to the status quo. However there is more to it than simply radical thought, in order to enact social change it is essential to not just have the desire to change things you must have support and utilize tools that allow you to execute your goals. Successful radicals challenge the powerful and dominant forces in society and come together as a collective movement to enact social change. Art and radical politics are also closely interconnected, art is a well-established tool in conveying political ideas; it is utilized by both political movements and art movements with political implications. By examining radical movements in history we can determine that these are some of the key factors that go into creating and maintaining a …show more content…
In The Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels called for a worldwide worker’s revolution, whose main goal was to overthrow capitalism and establish a new society in which all property would be publicly owned (Mason 67). Their radical ideas challenged the capitalist structure and called for full equality. Class conflict and the struggle of the proletariat are at the core of Marxist ideology. Marx and Engels criticized materialism and the dynamic between the dominant class (the bourgeoisie) and the subordinate class (the proletariat). They theorized that the conflict between these classes would erupt into inevitable revolution, in which the proletariat would overthrow the dominant class and establish a new classless, egalitarian society (Mason 70). Marx sought a solution for an unequal society, where the class that controls the means of production dominated over the subordinate class, and although Marxism has not seen widespread success, it still remains relevant in political