Manifesto of the Communist Party

Karl Marx · Friedrich Engels

Apr 2006 · Cosimo, Inc.

About this ebook

"With the clarity and brilliance of genius, this work outlines the new world outlook, consistent materialism, which also embraces the real of social life, dialectics, as the most comprehensive and profound doctrine of development, the theory of the class struggle and of the world-historic revolutionary role of the proletariat-the creator of a new, communist society." -LeninIronically, The Communist Manifesto, first published in 1848 for the Communist League, had little influence in its own day. Only after Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels' other writings had made their views on socialism widely known did it become a standard text. For nearly century it was one of the most widely read - some would argue misread - texts in the world. Manifested in vivid prose, the Manifesto continues to irk the capitalist world, lingering as an eerie specter even after the collapse of those governments, which claimed to be enacting its principles.Certainly, the aim here is not create converts. Instead it is to help readers probe the writing with its distinct point of view, so that we might understand the political and historical significance of the text while still maintaining a stance that allows us to think critically about the subject and form our own opinions.KARL MARX (1818-1883) was a philosopher, social scientist, historian and political revolutionary. He is indisputably the most influential socialist thinker to emerge in the 19th century. Although scholars largely ignored him in his own lifetime, his social, economic and political ideas gained rapid acceptance in the socialist movement only after his death. Born to a bourgeois family, FREDERICK ENGELS (1820-1895) devoted his life to struggling for the poor and oppressed. As a man of principle, he spent much of his time developing theoretical ideas and to his 50-year commitment to revolutionary socialism. Engels sustained an equally strong personal commitment to Karl Marx, who he supported politically, financially and with a deep friendship for 40 years, until the relationship was broken by Marx's death in 1883.

Ratings and reviews

Basically, it is an out dated book for todays world. However, at the time it was written it was obviously provacative, as well as subversive as a threat to the bourgeouis (boo-zhewa-zie) and all that it stands for. Actually, the book itself obviously is for the prolateriat party (workers) and or the common man and his struggle to survive in the bourgeious societal ruling classes of those countries. As well as in the western and eastern european countries at the time. Which paralelling todays world in most cases is pretty much the same thing, not only in the US but other countries as well. Due to the fact that the rich keep getting richer, and obviously the poor keep getting poorer. The case point is your third world developing nations, where that kind of system is what holds most of their countries together. It is the same old addage that he who has the gold makes the rules. This is a very unfortunate situation that has played itself out throughout the course of history. However, democracy, and capitalism has not actually done those countries much good either because greed is a very bad thing that poisons the minds of the prolateriats and their counterparts. Making them at odds with each other. Capitalism is something that needs to be given to the masses in small spoonfuls as if you were feeding a newborn baby. To much to soon is not good for the body or the psyche. With capitalism you need to take baby steps because there is to much to lose and to gain in to short of a period of time. where as when you gain the capitalistic success over periods of time it should last longer than if you gained it all at once losing it could be devastating. whereas in any situation where their is a ruling class (The Bourgeiousie) you will always be confronted with the old money at conflict with the new money. Whereas in most cases the new money will lose because the old money has something the new money doesn't have? Senority, and powerful influential friends with money that hold the same offices as their friends whereas new money doesn't have the established roots. As it says in the word, ''whole entire families will be torn out by their roots'' Another term used to describe the proletariat is the (peasant class). Because, the roots of the proletariat are many but yet they come from nothing and have nothing which is what they will end up with. Whereas the Bourgeiousie's roots come from a long lineage and came from somewhere and came from something and have always had something which is what they will always retain. Good book to read to open your mind to the past, to see where the proletariats murdered the holy royal family for a system that inevitably failed in 1989. The entire concept of the socialist point of view was to gain power peacfully, however revolution is not a peaceful verb, it is often very brutal and bloody. All in all a good history book to help you to understand the Bolsheviek revolution and why it came about. Written By Mr. James A Early

The book is simply fantastic but I suspect it was marketed by capitalist pigs! it should be free. If Lenin has taught me one thing it is that this is *OUR* book and it should be free! Look at the capitalist dogs trying to make money out of communism! Stalin would have sent these pigs to the Gulags!

this is an amazing book, it would be hilarious if they made it free because...communism and all. Even though Russia and all other countries that claimed to be commie was actually socialist :0