Karl Marx is one of the most famous and influential figures in modern history. He wrote The Communist Manifesto in 1848, which is widely considered to be the defining document of communism. This paper was an attempt to explain why Marx believed that capitalism would inevitably lead to a revolutionary overthrow of its oppressive system.
Marx based his theories on what he called ‘class conflict theory’. According to this theory, there are two main classes in society – the bourgeoisie (the owners of production) and the proletariat (the workers). Marx believed that these two classes were locked in a perpetual struggle for power and resources that would eventually lead to a revolution by the working class against the capitalist system.
In The Communist Manifesto, Marx argued that capitalism was doomed to fail because it was inherently unequal and exploitative. For instance, he noted that workers were paid less than their true worth for their labour power; meanwhile capitalists profited from their labour without contributing anything themselves. He argued that this inequality could only be resolved through a revolution led by the working class, which would establish a new economic system.
For Marx, The Communist Manifesto was more than just an analysis of social injustice – it was also an appeal to people around the world to change their thinking about how society should be organized. He wanted people everywhere to understand how capitalism perpetuated oppression and exploitation, so they could come together as one global movement towards a shared vision of communism.
