The Communist Manifesto

"The Communist Manifesto" by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels is a political pamphlet written in the mid-19th century, during a period of significant social and industrial upheaval. This influential work addresses the struggles between different social classes, specifically between the bourgeoisie (capitalist class) and the proletariat (working class), advocating for the overthrow of the capitalist system and the establishment of a classless society. It is widely regarded as a foundational text for modern socialist and communist movements. In the manifesto, Marx and Engels introduce their theory of historical materialism, positing …

eBook

English language

Published Jan. 25, 2005 by Project Gutenberg.

Show more
Subjects
  • Communism
  • Sources
  • Capitalism
  • Socialism
  • Social conflict
  • Marxism
  • History
  • Long Now Manual for Civilization
  • Social justice
  • Prolétariat
  • Nonfiction
  • Politics
  • Classic Literature
  • Social contract
  • Political science
  • Economics
  • Capital
  • Philosophy and ethics
  • Communisme
  • Socialisme

Reviews

Felt like reading modern day discourse but in a good way

OK, Marx and Engles went off with this one. The text of the Manifesto itself is written in an extremely compelling, approachable way. I was surprised by how contemporary it felt. And of course, ‘you have nothing to lose but your chains’ is just iconic.

Most of this book, however, was a lengthy deep dive into the context of the Manifesto. It got dry and tedious quite often, but I did get through it all and I am glad I did.

It provided helpful context. It made me feel much better about myself for not having all the answers, because holy cow did Marx flip flop on his politics throughout his life.

One chapter in particular, about the role of monotheistic religions in our increasingly individualistic society absolutely blew my mind.

So yeah, it is slightly self-flagellating, but I think it was good to get through …