Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844

By Karl Marx

In the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 Marx explains how, under capitalism, people rely on labor to live. In the past people could rely on Nature itself for their natural needs; in modern society, if one wants to eat, one must work: it is only through money that one may survive. Thus, man becomes a slave to his wages. It is only through his work that he can find enough money to continue to live; but he doesn't simply live, he actually only survives, as a worker. Labor is only used to create more wealth, instead of achieving the fulfillment of human nature. Wilder Publications is a green publisher. All of our books are printed to order. This reduces waste and helps us keep prices low while greatly reducing our impact on the environment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Start Publishing LLC
• Release date: May 20, 2013
• ISBN: 9781627931755

Karl Marx

Karl Marx (1818-1883) was a German philosopher, historian, political theorist, journalist and revolutionary socialist. Born in Prussia, he received his doctorate in philosophy at the University of Jena in Germany and became an ardent follower of German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. Marx was already producing political and social philosophic works when he met Friedrich Engels in Paris in 1844. The two became lifelong colleagues and soon collaborated on "The Communist Manifesto," which they published in London in 1848. Expelled from Belgium and Germany, Marx moved to London in 1849 where he continued organizing workers and produced (among other works) the foundational political document Das Kapital. A hugely influential and important political philosopher and social theorist, Marx died stateless in 1883 and was buried in Highgate Cemetery in London.

Reviews for Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844

[uh8myzen_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Communist Manifesto is not really a grand work, but functions more like promotional material for the revolutionary proletariat, but it is also a fundamental part of twentieth century thought. It is also prophetic in some ways as you can see many of the things Marx predicted coming to pass today. It is to bad that so many nations have hijacked real communism to serve their own misguided agendas, because there are many very important issues raised by Marx and Engles and should serve as a warning as we enter a period of unparalleled economic imperialism.

[jpsnow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Much quoting of Smith, Ricardo and Say, but then seems to re-arrange them into his own outlook that ignores the fundamental unit of decision making: the human individual. Later, we see he believes this is oK, because each individual within the species does not, by themselves, matter. It is clear to see how the shift of the times toward mechanization made the human labor seem almost worthless. (But, in retrospect, we know it is possible for individuals to create their own value-add to their own human capital.) The last third discusses Hegel's abstraction of logic involving spirit and state. This relates to Marx's doctrine of communism and atheism, both being the ultimate of human realization. This work explains the basis of communism, ties it to other economic ideas, and shows how the times produced an ideology as much as the converse. A final part that I must refute -- Marx blames the capitalist marketers for keeping the labor class poor by continually expanding the range of products and thus their range of "need." He assumes that (a) they are unable to save instead and that (b) everything produced becomes a legitimate necessity.

[fledgist · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the most important works in Western thought.