Biographies of Karl Marx and Frederich Engels

Biographies of Karl Marx and Frederich Engels

Karl Marx and Frederich Engels collaborated to introduce the liberal ideas of Communism. The Communist Manifesto was their byproduct that was introduced in January of 1828. Marx and Engels lives were drastically different from each other, although they both agreed upon the fundamental ideas of it. Marx’s idea of being an individual stemmed from the life that he lived. Marx found that his ideas were often not accepted in various societies but this did not stop him from professing them. Marx found that his personal ideas could be expressed freely, not in his own country, but in other countries. This soon became a problem because his homeland of Germany tried to oppress him through pressure. Engels life was different because of the family that he came from. Engels was born into the life of a middle-upper class family that allowed him more freedom in his life. Engels found that his individual ideas were accepted from the start but he was not as liberal as Marx. With the experiences and oppression that the men faced for their ideas, it is amazing to see how the Communism Manifesto was established.

Karl Marx (1818- 1883)

Karl Marx is an intriguing and fascinating man. He was born on May 5, 1818 from two German Jewish parents. Marx’s father was a prominent lawyer in Trier. Marx’s father converted to Lutheranism to safeguard his livelihood. This event did influence Marx’s later view of religion and conformism. His mother was from a long line of rabbis, but these religious beliefs played a small role in his life. He was baptized at age six, but this was the extent his encounter with religion as a child, which prevailed later in his life as he proclaimed himself an atheist. Marx stu...

... middle of paper ...

...Both Marx and Engels believed that the individual should not be repressed in a governmental system. Their thoughts on these ideas came from the events that shaped their lives. Together the dynamite combination of Marx and Engels created a Communist theory that shaped society.

Notes

[i] Carver, Terrell ed., The Cambridge Companion to Marx (United States: Cambridge

University Press, 1991), 4-6.

[ii] Koren, Henry J., Marx and the Authentic Man (Pittsburgh, PA: Duquesne University

Press, 1967), 1.

[iii] Lenin, “Biographical Article on Frederich Engels,” Engels Biography by Lenin,

<http://www.ex.ac.uk/Projects/meia/Bio/Marx-Karl/fe1895.htm> (10 March 2002).

[iv] Brian Basgen, “Karl Marx By: Frederick Engels,” Karl Marx Biography,

<http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/bio/marx/eng-1869.htm> (08 March 2002).