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KARL MARX
Biography
Karl Marx was born on May 5, 1818 in Trier, Germany. After schooling in Trier (1830-35), Marx
entered Bonn University to study law. At university he spent much of his time socialising and
running up large debts. His father was horrified when he discovered that Karl had been wounded in
a duel. Heinrich Marx agreed to pay off his son’s debts but insisted that he moved to Berlin
University.
The move to Berlin resulted in a change in Marx and for the next few years he worked hard at his
studies. Marx came under the influence of one of his lecturers, Bruno Bauer, whose atheism (belief
that God does not exist) and radical (dramatic change) political opinions got him into trouble with
the authorities. Bauer introduced Marx to the writings of G. W. F. Hegel, who had been the
professor of philosophy at Berlin until his death in 1831.
Marx tried journalism but his radical political views meant that most editors were unwilling to
publish his articles. He moved to Cologne where the city’s liberal opposition movement was fairly
strong. Known as the Cologne Circle, this group had its own newspaper, The Rhenish Gazette.
The newspaper published an article by Marx where he defended the freedom of the press. The
group was impressed by the article and in October, 1842, Marx was appointed editor of the
newspaper. Eventually he will become, along with his newspaper, an activist for Socialism, where
his lifetime friend, Friedrich Engels will join him.
Friedrich Engels helped to financially support Marx and his family. Engels gave Marx the royalties
of his recently published book, “Condition of the Working Class in England” and arranged for other
sympathizers to make donations. This enabled Marx the time to study and develop his economic
and political theories. Marx spent his time trying to understand the workings of capitalist society,
the factors governing the process of history and how the proletariat (workers) could help bring
about a socialist revolution.
The most important works by Marx are the book titled “The Capital” and the “The Communist
Manifesto” (or “Mannifesto of the Communist Party” in which he denounces the negative realities of
the Capitalist society and calls for a gathering of true Socialists to form a new kind of society that
will remove old inequalities and will guarantee more freedom and better wages for workers.
Karl Marx, after marriage with Jenny Marx (von Westphalen) had seven children, but only three
would survive to get into adulthood. That was due to the fact that soon Marx’s wealth which he
inherited from his father, a Jewish businessman, ran out and his various trips and writing gigs could
not pay for the family’s better conditions of living. He died in March 14, 1883, in London, in
miserable and starving conditions.
Main terms of Marx’s philosophy
These are the terms which Marxist philosophy is supposed to have promoted first into the history of
philosophy, thus making Marx an original and newly styled writer.
Class struggle / Burgeoisie / Proletariat / Lumpen-proletariat / Alienation / Exploitation / Product
Owners / Forces of Production / Relations of Production / Means of Production / Capitalism /
Communism
Class struggle = the continuous fight or turmoil between lower classes (peasants, poor, starving,
sick people and slaves) and higher classes (aristocrats, masters, people with wealth and means) in
order to build a middle class (a category of people that wouldn’t have to depend on the upper
classes to work and live)
Bourgeoisie = the upper class, the wealthy and the rich, the people that own the means of
production and hold on to them in a selfish manner (don’t share them, or they exploit people upon
sharing them)
Proletariat = the group of people that work in industry and technology, the only group capable of
understanding their important position in society and start the revolution to create the new (middle)
class and a better life for people
