Karl Marx (1954 words) Essay Example For Students

Karl Marx (1954 words) Essay Karl MarxKarl MarxKarl Marx was the greatest thinker andphilosopher of his time. His views on life and the social structure ofhis time revolutionized the way in which people think. He created an opportunityfor the lower class to rise Above the aristocrats and failed due to thecreation of the middle class. Despite this failure, he was still a greatpolitical leader and set the Basis of Communism in Russia. His life contributedto the way people think Today, and because of him people are more opento suggestion and are Quicker to create ideas on political issues. Karl Heinrich Marx was born May 5th, 1818in Trier. Although he had three other siblings, all sisters, he was thefavorite child to his father, Heinrich. His mother, a Dutch Jewess namedHenrietta Pressburg, had no interest in Karls intellectual side duringhis life. His father was a Jewish lawyer, and before his death in 1838,converted his family to Christianity to preserve his job with the Prussianstate. When Heinrichs mother died, he no longer felt he had an obligationto his religion, thus helping him in the decision in turning to Christianity. Karls childhood was a happy and carefree one. His parents had a good relationshipand it help set Karl in the right direction. His Splendid natural giftsawakened in his father the hope that they would One day be used in theservice of humanity, whilst his mother declared him to be a child of fortunein whose hands everything would go well. (The story of his life, Mehring,page 2)In High school, Karl stood out among thecrowd. When asked to write a report on How to choose a profession hetook a different approach. He took the angle in which most interested him,by saying that there was no way to choose a profession, but because ofcircumstances one is placed in an occupation. A person with an aristocraticbackground is more likely to have a higher role in society as opposed tosomeone from a much poorer background. While at Bonn at the age of eighteenhe got engaged to Jenny Von Westphalen, daughter of the upperclassmen LudwigVon Westphalen. She was the childhood friend of Marxs oldest sister, S ophie. The engagement was a secret one, meaning they got engaged without askingpermission of Jennys parents. Heinrich Marx was uneasy about this butbefore long the consent was given. Karls school life other than his marksis unknown. He never spoke of his friends as a youth, and no one has evercame to speak of him through his life. He left high school in August of1835 to go on to the University of Bonn in the fall of the same year tostudy law. His father wanted him to be a lawyer much like himself but whenKarls reckless university life was getting in the way after a year Heinrichtransferred him to Berlin. Also, he did not go to most lectures, and showedlittle interest in what was to be learned. Karls reckless ways were nottolerated at Berlin, a more conservative college without the mischievousways of the other universities. While at Berlin, Marx became part of thegroup known as the Yong Hegelians. The group was organized in part dueto the philosophy teacher Hegel that taught from 1818 to his death. Theteachings of Hegel shaped the way the school thought towards most things. Those who studied Hegel and his ideals were known as the Young Hegelians. Hegel spoke of the development and evolution of the mind and of ideas. Although Karl was younger than most in the group, he was recognized forhis intellectual ability and became the focus of the group. While at BerlinHe came to believe that all the various sciences and philosophies werepart of one overarching, which, when completed, which would give a trueand total picture of the universe and man. (Communist Manifesto, Marx(Francis B. Randal), page 15)Marx was an atheist, and believed thatscience and philosophy would prove everything. Thus he had no belief ina god of any type. Marx believed that Hegel must have been an atheist aswell because of his strong belief in the mind. Marxs doctoral thesis wascompeted in 1841. It carried the title The Difference Between the Philosophiesof Nature of Democrtius and Epicurus.(The Making of Marxs Critical Theory,Oakley, page 11) It had to do with the Greek philosopher Epicurus and howhis beliefs related to Marxs of that day. This thesis was an early indicationof the thinking behind Karl Marx. Much of his later work a nd ideas areevident in this essay. He passed his thesis into the University of Jenabecause Bonn and Berlin required an oral part to the thesis. Slave Revolt EssayHis ideas were no longer followed like they once were. His isolation fromthe general public provided a new light in his life. Then, in 1855, hisonly son died. His son showed much potential, and was the life of the family. When he died, Jenny became very sick with anxiety, and Marx himself becamevery depressed. He wrote to Engles The house seems empty and desertedsince the boy died. He was its life and soul. It is impossible to describehow much we miss him all of the time. I have suffered all sorts of misfortunesbut now I know what real misfortune is. (The Story of his Life, Mehring,page 247)After the Communist League disbanded in1852 Marx tried to create another organization much like it. Then, in 1862the First International was established in London. Marx was the leader. He made the inaugural speech and governed the work of the governing bodyof the International. When the International declined, Marx recommendedmoving it to the United States. The ending of the International in 1878took much out of Marx, and made him withdraw from his work; much like theending of the Communist League had done. This time, it was for good. Thelast ten years of his life is known as a slow death. This is becausethe last eight years many medical problems affected his life. In the autumnof 1873 he was inflected by apoplexy which effected his brain which madehim incapable of work and any desire to write. After weeks of treatmentin Manchester, he recovered fully. He controlled the demise of his health. Instead of relaxing in his old age he went back to work on his own studies. His late nights and early mornings decreased his health in the last fewyears of his life. In January of 1883, after the death of his daughterJenny, he suffered from Bronchitis and made it almost impossible to swallow. The next month a tumor developed in his lung and soon manifested into hisdeath on March 14, 1883. Although Marxs influence was not greatduring his life, after his death his works grew with the strength of theworking class. His ideas and theories became known as Marxism, and hasbeen used to shape the ideas of most European and Asian countries. Thestrength of the Proletariat has been due to the work of Marx. His idealsformed government known as communism. Although he was never a rich man,his knowledge has been rich in importance for the struggle of the workingclass. BibliographyHimelfarb, Alexander and C. James Richardson. Sociology for Canadians: Images of society. Toronto: McGraw-Hill RydersonLimited, 1991Mehring, F, Karl Marx, The story of hislife, London: Butler and Tanner ltd., 1936Marx, K, The Communist Manifesto, Germany:J. E. Burghard, 1848 Karl Marx. Microsoft Encarta 96 Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. Microsoft Corp., 1993-1995Vesaey, G. and P. Foulkes. Collins dictionaryof Philosophy. London:British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data,1990