Rosa Luxemburg

1854 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: criticisms of marxist theory

Rosa Luxemburg

Before one can even attempt to discuss the Marxists of the World, one must examine and define the meaning of the term itself. What is the definition of Marxism? How did it come about? How did it change through the years?

" Marxism is the system established by Marx and Engles. The foundation of Marxism is based on Dialectical Materialism----a way of understanding reality; whether thoughts emotions, or the material world. Through this Marx and Engles examined history, which led them to explain class struggle and the basis of social relations throughout economics"

Marx's Communist Manifesto was the first systematic statement of modern socialist doctrine. Marx contributed the central propositions of the Manifesto, which embody the materialist conception of history. This theory was later formulated in Marx's Critique of Political Economy (1859). Marx drew the conclusion that the capitalist class would inherently collapse. "The only class he believed which can assimilate the critique of political economy with out damage to itself is the proletariat."

After Marx, there were many people who tried to re-model and interpret his philosophy; one of those people was Rosa Luxemburg. Born on March 5th, 1871 in Zamoshc of Congress Poland, Rosa Luxemburg was born into a Jewish family, the youngest of five children. "She was not good looking, she had a limp, a deformed shoulder, but she possessed a powerful intellect, and a strong, clear voice". In 1889, at 18 years old, Luxemburg's revolutionary agitation forced her to move to Zürich, Switzerland, to escape imprisonment. While in Zürich, Luxemburg continued her revolutionary activities from abroad, while studying political economy and law; receiving her d...

... middle of paper ...

...dged the revolutionary past with the revolutionary future. Her ideas thus remain as alive as the idea of revolution itself, while all her adversaries in the old labor movement have become part of the decaying capitalist society.

Bibliography:

Bibliography

Acton, Edward. Russia. Logman Press; New York, 1973.

Barbabra W. Tuchman. The Proud Tower. Batman Books; New York, 1966.

Bottomore,Tom. A Dictionary of Marxist Thought. Harvard University Press; Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1983.

Luxemburg. The Russian Revolution. University of Michigan Press; Michigan, 1961.

Luxemburg. Social Reform and Revolution. Pathfinder Press; New York, 1973.

Marx, Karl. Das Kapital. Gateway Edition; Washington, DC., 1987.

Schapiro. Civilization in Europe. The Riberside Pres; Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1974.

Show More
Related

  • Social Classism In William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying

    1136 Words  | 3 Pages

    Marxism is an economic and social system developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels during the mid-1800s (What is Marxism). A Marxist literary criticism deals with class consciousness and ideology.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Karl Marx's Writing Of The Communist Manifesto

    2472 Words  | 5 Pages

    Karl Marx 's writing of ‘The Communist Manifesto’ in 1848 has been documented by a vast number of academics as one of the most influential pieces of political texts written in the modern era. Its ideologically driven ideas formed the solid foundation of the Communist movement throughout the 20th century, offering a greater alternative for those who were rapidly becoming disillusioned and frustrated with the growing wealth and social divisions created by capitalism. A feeling not just felt in by a couple of individuals in one society, but a feeling that was spreading throughout various societies worldwide. As Toma highlights in his work, Marx felt that ‘capitalism would produce a crisis-ridden, polarized society destined to be taken over by

    Read More

  • Marxist Theory and Class Relations in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

    870 Words  | 2 Pages

    Marxism is a method of analysis based around the concepts developed by the two German philosophers Karl Marx and Fredrich Engel, centered around the complexities of social-relations and a class-based society. Together, they collaborated their theories to produce such works as The German Ideology (1846) and The Communist Manifesto (1848), and developed the terms ‘’proletariat’ and ’bourgeois’ to describe the working-class and the wealthy, segmenting the difference between their respective social classes. As a result of the apparent differences, Marxism states that proletariats and bourgeoisie are in constant class struggle, working against each other to amount in a gain for themselves.

    Read More

  • The Struggle Between The Working Class And Communism In The Communist Manifesto?

    724 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Communist Manifesto written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, the two German philosophers saw history as the struggle between the working class and the Bourgeois, or middle class (textbook 708). The Communist Manifesto was written in 1848, during the peak of the Industrial Revolution, a time when the Bourgeois made huge profits in manufacturing at the expense of the working class. According to Marx and Engels, the fruits of the Industrial Revolution created a new class of the oppressed modern working class, the Proletariat, which had never before existed because it was neither like serfdom or slave hood in that it was dependent on the Bourgeois to hire them for wage labor. This was the class the two philosophers envisioned would set off a revolution that would overthrow capitalism to end the perpetual class struggle and create a fair society known as Communism.

    Read More

  • Differentiating Marx and Rousseau

    2202 Words  | 5 Pages

    In his Manifesto of the Communist Party Karl Marx created a radical theory revolving not around the man made institution of government itself, but around the ever present guiding vice of man that is materialism and the economic classes that stemmed from it. By unfolding the relat...

    Read More

  • A Marxist Reading of George Orwell's 1984 from the Point of View of George Luckàcs

    3816 Words  | 8 Pages

    Marxism accepts a virtually axiomatic dialectical materialism, the labor theory of value and the economic determination of all human actions and institutions. It is characterized by a belief in the class struggle as a fundamental force in history.

    Read More

  • Socialism and Communism Midterm

    2454 Words  | 5 Pages

    Marxism was created by Karl Marx and Federick Engels; they both sought out a better future for the working class. Marx, who was born in Germany in 1818 and died in London in 1883, lived in a world where he disagreed with capitalism whole heartedly. Frederick Engels was also born in Germany in 1820 and died in London in 1895. With this, they created their own philosophical and economic thought which was called Marxism. The problem with Marx was that he was always ready to change his mind about certain theories or ideas which he created. This is why it is very difficult to understand how Marxism works. Also Marxism is usually stereotyped with mainstream communism, which is why people seem to brush it off and just see it as some radical oppression machine. In Lenin’s words “the three main sources of Marxism are: British political economy, French Socialism, and German Idealist Philosophy”.

    Read More

  • The Impact of the Communist Manifesto During the Late 1800s and Early 1900s

    1053 Words  | 3 Pages

    It did this by outlining the history of classes and class struggle. The Communist Manifesto stated that society and history are shaped by class struggles and that two classes were present in 1848, the bourgeois and the proletariat. The document goes on to state that the bourgeois had created capitalism and were oppressing the proletariat. Marx defines the proletariat as “an appendage to the machine”. He recognized how the proletariats were being exploited and he brought it to the attention of the public.

    Read More

  • Capitalism In The Communist Manifesto

    1110 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Communist Manifesto was published in 1848, a period of political turmoil in Europe. Its meaning in today’s capitalistic world is a very controversial issue. Some people, such as the American government, consider socialism taboo and thus disregard the manifesto. They believe that capitalism, and the world itself, has changed greatly from the one Marx was describing in the Manifesto and, therefore, that Marx’s ideas cannot be used to comprehend today’s economy. Others find that the Manifesto highlights issues that are still problematic today. Marx’s predicative notions in the Communist Manifesto are the key to understanding modern day capitalism.

    Read More

  • Karl Marx And The Communist Manifesto

    1347 Words  | 3 Pages

    Born from the revolutions of 1848 throughout Europe, Marxism sought to end the class struggles that were destroying the continent. The solution to the problems of all nations occurred to Marx to be Socialism, a branch that is presently known as Marxism. Under this seemingly “utopian” socioeconomic system, equality was granted to all citizens who were in essence a community of one. “. . . universal free education; arming of the people; a progressive income tax; limitations upon inheritance; state ownership of banks. . .”(Palmer 506). These rights of which constituted Marxism eventually went on to be incorporated in Leninism and modern-day socialism. At least in its beginning, the intent of Marxism and the Communist League were noble towards the goal o...

    Read More

  • Marxism and Leninism

    1618 Words  | 4 Pages

    Marxism is a philosophy coined by Karl Marx with the help of Friedrich Engles in the early nineteenth century. Marx’s writings inspired many progressive thinkers throughout the European continent and the United States. The Marxist doctrine stated that first a bourgeoisie revolution, which will ignite a capitalist fire. The political philosopher believed that communism could only thrive in a society distressed by “the political and economic circumstances created by a fully developed capitalism” With industry and capitalism growing a working class develops and begins to be exploited. According to Marx, the exploiting class essentially is at fault for their demise, and the exploited class eventually comes to power through the failure of capitalism:

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis Of The Communist Manifesto

    1432 Words  | 3 Pages

    The second section of The Communist Manifesto is the section in which Karl Marx attempts to offer rebuttals to popular criticisms of his theory of governance. These explanations are based upon the supposition that capitalists cannot make informed observations upon communism as they are unable to look past their capitalist upbringing and that capitalists only seek to exploit others. Though the logic behind these suppositions are flawed, Marx does make some valid points concerning the uprising of the proletariat.

    Read More

  • The Impact Of Karl Marx And Friedrich Engels: The Communist Manifesto

    1125 Words  | 3 Pages

    Born in 1818 in Prussia, Karl Marx was a philosopher, journalist, historian, sociologist, economist, and revolutionary socialist. Marx is most notably known for founding socialism, a system of society in which no property is held as private, and his economic works, like the Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital. His fundamental ideas, later known as Marxism, created the base of Socialist and Communist movements throughout the world. Marx also had a very close friend named Friedrich Engels. Engels, born in 1820 in Prussia, was philosopher and collaborator of Karl Marx. Engels helped Marx co-author The Communist Manifesto and edit Das Kapital. Throughout The Communist Manifesto, key themes are showcased in Marx and Engels’s argument on economics. The major argument is for Communism. Marx states that Capitalism

    Read More

  • The Political Philosophy of Karl Marx

    2291 Words  | 5 Pages

    He developed the socio-political theory of Marxism. One of his most famous works is The Communist Manifesto, which he co-wrote with Friedrich Engels. In The Communist Manifesto, Marx discusses his theories on society, economics and politics. He believed that “all societies progress through the dialectic of class struggle”. He criticized capitalism, and referred to it as the "dictatorship of the bourgeoisie".

    Read More

  • Marxism And Marxism

    1266 Words  | 3 Pages

    He is known worldwide for his numerous theories and ideas in regards to society, economics and politics. His outlook on these subjects is known as Marxism. Marxism focuses on the imbalance and struggle between classes and society. Marx’s theories stem from the concept of materialism based society and the implications thereof. These concepts leads to the Marxist theory of the failure of capitalism. Marx had a number of specific reasons for the downfall of capitalism yet capitalism remains very real and successful. Marxism covers a wide range of topics and theories, but an in depth analysis of his criticism to capitalism and how it is not relevant to modern day will be explored.

    Read More

More about Rosa Luxemburg

Open Document