Marx

Marx was a revolutionary and was born in 1818 in German (converted to Lutherism) and was of Jewish Heritage. Marx studied Law, Philosophy and revolution.

Marx, however, ventured on to a different career path once again as a journalist and editor for the 'Communist Manifesto' in 1848. Marx's radical ideas caused controversy and caused him to flee to London where he later died in 1883.

The writing on his tombstone: ''Workers of the world unite' expressed Marx's opinion that you can explain everything about society by analysing the way economic forces shape social, religious, legal and political processes: 'The philosophers have only interpreted the world- the point however is to change it''

Politics was less important for Marx and economics became a dominate factor throughout.

Aristotle said that man is a rational animal, for Plato the political animal, for Kant a moral animal and for Hegel a historic animals. For Marx man is the productive animal. Mankind creates the environment it inhabits: ''Not a figure in the landscape, but the shaper of the landscape.'' Technological determinism- teleological approach to history (Hegel). He believed history has a process that's driving towards an end.

Marx achieved (according to Engels) a fusion of:

1. Hegelian Philosophy ( the philosophy of history and dialectics)
2. British Empiricism (economics of Smith)
3. French revolutionary Politics/ socialist politics ( ''Man is born free but everywhere is in chains.'')

His method was scientific, he believed that he was using the same methods as Darwin.

Hegel

Hegel believed that spirit guides history towards an end point where history will lower itself ( seeking self knowledge). History ends when spirit will achieve full self- knowledge and become the absolute spirit. This process works through the dialectic:

• Thesis ( proposition)
• Antithesis ( counter - propositions- contradictions- negation) 
• Synthesis ( combination/ refuting of one position) 

Marx attacks Hegel's Dialectic Idealism was the Geist battle between good and evil, the real dialect was rooted in the real world in money- a class struggle. Marx theory of history Dialectic Materialism was where there was an historical process between man and the material conditions of his existence. There was a class struggle through history and the property was less for the working class, proletariat there was nothing to lose and gain, 'nothing to lose but their chains' (Rousseau who was influential to Marx).

''Have the world to win'' Marx couldn't understand why people of a lower class E.g slaves etc. don't fight/ campaign for change. Marx believed that the reason why people of a lower class were afraid was due to Alienation. Capitalism alienates men from themselves and from each other. People begin to value things over each other and encourages avarice, competition and inequality.

Communism

Thesis: The Bourgeoisie (free market capitalism, liberal state, individual rights)
Antithesis: The Proletariat.
Synthesis: Socialism.
Seeds of its own destruction: ''Capitalism produces all things in profusion but most of all it produces its own grave diggers.'' ( Das Capital)
Capitalism will try to survive by investing in better technology and exporting products.

Marx believes that the fall of Capitalism and the rise of the Proletariat are equally inevitable. The Proletarians would rise up and dispossess the bourgeoisie- dictatorship of the Proletariat. This would result in socialism. Communist society is characterised by equality and true justice and the evolution of a truly free individual.

Context of Marx's work:

The revolutions 1848- Spring of Nations. Europe had a wide explosion of revolutions- France, Italy, Austria and Germany were all key countries. Most were put down and the British Empire grew quickly. Germany failed to make political advances like in England due to revolutions. Aristocracy remained in control of power and the middle class were excluded from political power. Therefore they turned back to education and culture the primary factors of socialisation. Freedom began to be viewed as within the individual rather than society.