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Karl Marx - Philosophy, Work and HappinessKarl Marx - Philosophy, Work and Happiness

 

Karl Marx (1818-83)

 

German philosopher (pictured right) and founder of modern communism (or socialism), who:

  • inspired the Russian Revolution of 1917
  • had a huge effect on the history of the twentieth century.

 Karl Marx - Philosophy, Work and Happiness

Who influenced him?  

  • Georg Hegel (1770-1831) , the German philosopher (pictured right).
  • Friedrich Engels (1820-95), Marx's close friend and patron (pictured right below) .

 Karl Marx - Philosophy, Work and Happiness

His most famous book is...

Das Kapital, published in three volumes(1861, 1885 and 1894).


 

What did he say about work and happiness?

 

1. Violent revolution

The capitalist system (including private property and profit-making businesses) must be overthrown and abolished by the workers (the “proletariat”).

To do this the workers will have to fight together:

“Workers of the world, unite!”, he wrote with Friedrich Engels in the Communist Manifesto of 1848.

There are two stages in the workers' revolution:Karl Marx - Philosophy, Work and Happiness

 

a) “dictatorship of the proletariat”,

(in which government controls people with the aim of giving them freedom and control over their lives in a classless society - see next stage).

 

b) “communism”

This is the classless society which Engels described as “the withering away of the state”.

 

 Karl Marx - Philosophy, Work and Happiness

2. Class struggle

In capitalism there is a constant battle between:

  • the workers and
  • their bosses (the “bourgeoisie”), who use the law and religion to control the workers.

“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of the class struggle”, Marx said in the Communist Manifesto.

Marx predicted the destruction of capitalism from:

  • falling profits (caused by higher investment in machinery).
  • angry workers (with wages kept low by high unemployment).
     

 

3. “Alienation”

Workers are unhappy (or alienated) at work, because they are exploited by their bosses with:Karl Marx - Philosophy, Work and Happiness

  • low wages (like British workers in the 1926 general strike, pictured right).
  • poor working conditions.
  • unfulfilling work.

Friedrich Engels described workers’ poverty and exploitation in his book, The Condition of the Working Class in England(1844).

 

Karl Marx - Philosophy, Work and Happiness 

4. Change

Everything must be questioned and challenged, so that the world can be completely changed.

“Everything must be doubted” was Marx’s favourite maxim.

 

 Karl Marx - Philosophy, Work and Happiness

5. Happiness

He wanted everyone to be happy and fulfilled in their work and leisure. How?

 

a) revolution

The replacement of capitalism with communism (see point 1 above).

 

b) variety

Specializing in one job (division of labour) is boring, so people must do different jobs and activities.

 Karl Marx - Philosophy, Work and Happiness

c) power to the people

Marx wanted everyone to:

  • have control over their own lives.
  • collectively own all property including businesses.

 

d) satisfaction of people’s needs

Everyone should:

  • contribute to society to the best of their ability.
  • have their needs met by society.

So Marx said:

“From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”.


 Karl Marx - Philosophy, Work and Happiness

6. Ideology matters

Marx wanted a workers' revolution that would change the world, freeing them from capitalist control.

So written on his gravestone in Highgate Cemetery in London are the words:

“The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways - the point however is to change it”.

 

Key quote on society

From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.

The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways - the point however is to change it (written on Marx’s gravestone).

 

Key quotes on religion

Religion is... the opium of the people.

 

Key quotes on workers

Workers of the world, unite, written with Friedrich Engels  in The Communist Manifesto (1848).

The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of the class struggle (in The Communist Manifesto).

Capital is dead labour which, vampire-like, lives only by sucking living labour.

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