Summary of the Communist Manifesto

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During the late 1840’s the idea of Communism had risen among the European powers. Communism is the idea of “the movement that aims to overthrow the capitalist order by revolutionary means and to establish a classless society in which all goods will be socially owned.”[1] During this era the idea of a movement advancing towards the highest form of social organization and togetherness rose within the European countries. “It [communism] settles the question of men and nature, existence and essence, freedom and necessity, individual and collectiveness.”[2] The Communist Manifesto reflects an attempt to explain the goals of Communism, as well as the theory underlying the communist movement.

In 1847, a group of radical workers called the “Communist League" met in London. The league commissioned Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, who had both become recent members, to write a manifesto on their behalf. The document Marx and Engels created is known as the Communist Manifesto. “Marx was the principle author, with Engels editing and assisting.”[3] The Communist Manifesto was originally published in London in 1848. Of all the documents of modern socialism, it is the most widely read and the most influential. Marx and Engels thought that theory was only useful if it promotes social change, clarifying the proper means and ends of revolution. Marx and Engels were looked at as activists, as well as authors and the two believed they were influencing history by creating the Communist Manifesto. Their end goal was to educate people and influence history about the communist movement. It argues “class struggles, or the exploitation of one class by another, are the motivating force behind all historical developments.”[4] At this point, a...

... middle of paper ...

.../html/c/communism.asp>

- Atkinson, Jason. The Latter Rain Page. 14 March 2002, p.1 http://www.latter-

rain.com/general/commu.htm

- Bannon, Alicia. SparkNotes on The Communist Manifesto. 3 March 2002, p. 1

<http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/communist>

- Brians, Paul. Karl Marx and Fredercih Engels: The Communist Manifesto. 3 March

2002, p. 3. <http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_2/

marx.html>

- Bannon, Alicia. SparkNotes on The Communist Manifesto. 3 March 2002, p. 2

<http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/communist>

- Kuhn, Rick. Manifesto of the Communist Party. 3 March 2002, p. 1.

<http://www.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/classics/manifesto.html>

- Kuhn, Rick. Manifesto of the Communist Party. 3 March 2002, p. 7.

<http://www.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/classics/manifesto.html>

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