19th Century Philosophers: Karl Marx (1818-1883)
I. Life: Marx was born in what is now Germany but spent most of his life in exile interestingly enough because of his political stands. He studied law for a short time but later turned to philosophy, receiving a doctorate at the University of Jena in 1841. He became editor of a newspaper, the Reinische Zeitung, which was suppressed by the government in 1843. He then moved to Paris, where he began a lifelong friendship and collaboration with Frederich Engels. Although they jointly authored several works, both evidently regarded Marx as the guiding figure. Marx moved to Brussels after being expelled from France in 1845. He and Engels produced The Communist Manifesto, which was one of the most influential documents in human history in 1848. Expelled from Brussels, Mar moved back briefly to Paris and then to Cologne. He was expelled in 1849. He then moved to London, where he spent the remainder of his life. Marx never held regular work for any extended period of time. He did serve for a short time as a journalistic correspondent of The New York Tribune. For the most part, he was continually dependent upon Engels for financial support and he lived much of his life in poverty. He dedicated most of his life primarily to extensive research advancing the cause of socialism. Marx himself suffered from chronic illnesses and three of his children died. With time, the fame and influence of his works grew until Marx became the leading theorist and prophet of European socialism. He was not effective as a political activist however. In 1864 he helped establish and then dominated the International working Men’s Association which came to be known as the “First International” although he then generally destroyed the Association in a bitter controversy with the Russian anarchist, Mikhail Bakunin. Political activism was not well suited to Marx’ often vitriolic temperament and his tendency to take “hard-line” stands. The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital are Marx’ two most famous works. Of particular philosophical significance, however, is The Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844.
