Karl Marx
Karl Marx is a Philosopher,Social Scienctist,Historian and Revolutionary.He is emerged as the most prominent of thinjers in the 19th century.
Karl Marx was born on May 5,1818 in Trier,Germany into a Middle-clas Family.His father was Lawyer.At 17,he started studying law at the University of Bonn.But,he was more interested in his Social Life and started incurred huge debts.He also engaged to his girl friend,Jenny von Westphalen,the daughter of a Baron.His father shocked at Marx's behaviour and then he agreed to pay his debts but insisted that he transfer to the more Sober University of Berlin.
The environment life changed Marx and he studied hard for the next four years.He soon became influenced by the ideas of one of his lecturers,Bruno Bauer,who had radical political opinions.He was introduced to G.W.F.Hegal's(a professor of Philosophy)writing and started to get interested in philosophy.
In 1938,Marx's father was died and he had to start earning a living.He completed his Doctorate and decided to become a University Lecturer.He hoped that Bruno Bauer would help him find a job-but Bauer himself was in trouble as a result of his political views and was dismissed.
Marx become a member of the Yong Hegelian Movement,a group comprising theologians like Bruno Bauer and David Friedrich Strauss.They crticized the religion of Christianity and the Prussian autocratic rule.Now that his dream of becoming a Lecturer was shattered,Marx tried his hand at Journalism.Some radical industrialists had started an anti-government Newspaper called the "Rheinische Zeitung" in Cologne.Under his leadership,several articles criticizing that government werw published and created problems.Finally in January 1843,despite Marx's resignation,the newspaper was banned fron publication.
Fearing arrest,Marx quickly married his girlfriend of college days,Jenny and moved to France.Here he started to study political economy and the history of the French Revolution.He became editor of a new political journal called the "Deutsch Franzosische Jahrbucher" or the "Franco-German Annals".
During his first few monyhs in Paris,Marx became a communist and prepared a series of writings called the "Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts".Taht time Marx developed a lifelong pertnership with Friedrich Engels, another writer who shared views on capitalism.With the two started work on their first article together,the Prussian Government pressurized the French authorities to expel Marx.So in 1844,Marx was forced to leave Paris and he moved to Brussels with Engels.
Marx also tried to understand the workings of capitalist society,the factors governong the process of history and hoe the working class could bring about a socialist revolution.In January 1846,Marx set up a Communist Correspondence Committee with the aim of bringing together socialist leaders from all over Europe.In December 1847,the Committee met in London and decided to focus on overthrowing the rich upper class(Bourgeois),achieving
domination class (Proletariat) and establishing a new society without classes.
Then,back in Brussels Marx started writing "The Communist Manifesto".Written for the masses,the 12000 word pamphlet was published in 1848.The next month,the Belgian government once again expelled Marx.He moved to Cologne once again,where he started the Paper,"Neue Rhrinische Zeitung",through which hoped to encourge the revolution.
In May,1849,Marx was banished on the pretext that he was no longer a Prussian citizen.He went to Paris and within a month of his arrival there,the French Police ordered him to leave.There was only one country that would take him and so on 15th September he sailed for England.In London,Marx and his Family lived in absolute poverty.They depended almost entirely on Engels,who generously sent them money every month.Despite that,with six children to look after,they suffered.But even through all this,Marx continued his works,spending many hours reading and analysing the capitalist society.
In 1852,Marx started to write for the "NewYork Daily Tribune" that continued for the next ten years.He also wrote for the "New American Cyclopaedia".With the money from Marx's journalism and with the help of a small inheritance,the family was able to survive.By the 1860s his writing for the Tribune ended and Marx's money problems returned.Still Marx continued to work and in 1867 published the first volume of his famous "Das Kapital".The book dealt with concepts like Surplus value,division of labour and the industrial reserve army.
Marx now began work on the second volume of Das Kapital and was helped by his 16 years old daughter, Eleanor.By 1881,both Marx and his wife were seriously ill and though Marx survuved,his wife passed away on December 2nd.Two years later,his daughter died too.In 1883,Marx unable to bear the death of his wife and eldest daughter,breathed his last.
Ironically,it was only after his death,during the socialist movement,that his ideas became hugely popular.Scholars of his time ignored his work.
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