Friedrich Engels' Life and Beliefs

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Friedrich Engels' Life and Beliefs Revolutionaries are not necessarily born but are made. Friedrich Engels is an excellent example of this because his history and family life does not reflect his career path. Unlike Marx, he was born of a “well-to-do” authoritarian textile manufacturer on November 28, 1820 in Barmen, Germany. By the age of fifteen his parents were very concerned with his behavior. In a letter written by his father he was said to have had a “lack of character” and “other unpleasant qualities”. Friedrich was receiving substandard grades, and he was disobedient despite the strict discipline at home. His father saw promise in him despite his disobedience, but was continuously troubled by his son’s actions. These acts can be seen as a sign of his future rebellion toward society. [ii] Friedrich Engels’ biographical information is important to know because it gives the reader and understanding of what shaped Engels’ views in the Communist Manifesto. The Prussian Province in which Engels was raised was the most industrialized place in Germany at the time. This gave Engels the ability to see the growing aspect of capitalism in society. He soon noticed the conflict between the labor and management. Even in his early years he showed concern for “social injustices”.[iii] Everyday when he went to school, he passed factories where workers “ ‘breathed in more smoke and out more dust than oxygen’, where children were imprisoned from the age of six, to be ‘victims of capitalist exploitation’.” [iv] He saw the poor work from morning until night and the homeless who slept in stables or on dung heaps. He watched as society escaped reality by slipping into a state of drunkenness each evening. He noticed the fierce competition among the industries creating an even more demanding atmosphere that showed no improvement in the current situation. His keen observations drove him to take action, especially since he was the son of a factory owner.[v] He worked as a business apprentice during the day hours, and in 1842 he eventually traveled to England to learn commerce and management. In his spare time he visited the workers’ quarters in Manchester where he saw the same exploitation of the working class as he did back in Germany. Grief stricken families lived in filth and poverty because of the controlling bourgeoisie. These experiences continued to play a large role in shaping his political views.

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