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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
The Communist Manifesto is a must-read for every (beginning) communist out there! The edition I had included a 300-word introduction that provided essential context; how communism emerged, the historical backdrop of Marx and Engels' lives, and key philosophical foundations. While this section was more academic than the Manifesto itself, it helped me to grasp the socio-political climate of the time before diving in.
However, I enjoyed the Manifesto far more (duh), Marx’s (and Engels’) writing truly shines here. The prose is sharp, passionate, and unapologetically revolutionary. One of the most striking lines that stayed with me is:
"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles."
This single sentence captures the essence of Marx’s historical analysis. Another powerful quote that resonated with me was:
"The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. WORKING MEN OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!"
It’s a rallying cry that still feels urgent today (and is printed on every communist merch ever).
I also appreciated Marx’s critique of other socialist and communist tendencies that failed to serve the proletariat. His dismantling of reactionary, bourgeois, and utopian socialisms really captured my attention while reading, and his rejection of reformist approaches, like those of the democratic socialists, was compelling. As he and Engels wrote:
"The theoretical conclusions of the Communists are in no way based on ideas or principles that have been invented, or discovered, by this or that would-be universal reformer. They merely express, in general terms, actual relations springing from an existing class struggle..."
This insistence on material conditions over idealism is what makes the Manifesto so enduring.
Overall, this is a foundational text that every leftist should engage with, not just as theory (little guilty myself), but as a call to action. Whether you agree with every point or not, Marx’s analysis of capitalism’s exploitative nature remains devastatingly relevant. 5/5 – A revolutionary classic.
Would love to hear others’ thoughts on their favorite passages! ✊
informative
fast-paced
informative
fast-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Finished at House of Brick
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Borrowed MM Paperback from Akron Public Library
Compelling and educational, people who fear this document and haven’t read it need to check themselves.
No bookmark used
Borrowed MM Paperback from Akron Public Library
Compelling and educational, people who fear this document and haven’t read it need to check themselves.
informative
medium-paced
Quite hilarious to discuss this text in my Literature and Capitalism class on the very same day the Trump administration orders a federal funding freeze, specifically condemning the use of Federal resources to “advance Marxist equity.” I need someone to record Trump attempting to define Marxist equity. I don’t think Trump has even read this. You could probably give it a different name, put it on his desk, and he’d love it. You know, if he had someone to explain it to him.
Marx’s admiration for capitalism is blatant. While he clearly doesn’t love it, he is impressed by it, in awe of its sheer productive power. His problem lies in its inequality, the system it perpetuates where the few exploit the many.
Honestly, Marx is a bigger fan of democracy than Trump is. I mean, Trump is building an oligarchy; meanwhile, Marx called the Proletarian revolution a movement of the “immense majority in favor of the immense majority.”
To be clear, I am not calling for a violent revolution (or am I?) (THAT’S A JOKE, FBI!). Marx was wrong because he was far too optimistic about class solidarity and the shared interests of exploited people. Do I agree that there is no such thing as liberty without economic liberty? Duh. Do I think communism is inevitable and will naturally be ushered in after the collapse of capitalism? A girl can dream. JOKE, FBI.
To be even clearer, I am not a communist. I think historical materialism is an academically valid and fruitful lens through which to examine literature and modern society. Issues arise when people use Marxism and Communism as buzzwords to incite panic without taking the time to truly understand them. It’s not new to trot out theoretical praise of this text while simultaneously condemning/questioning the actual implementation of its ideas. I’m not reinventing the wheel here. I’m just a girl standing in front of a boy, asking for a 90% tax bracket. Come home, FDR. The kids miss you. Again, joking. I will take the tax bracket, though.
Marx’s admiration for capitalism is blatant. While he clearly doesn’t love it, he is impressed by it, in awe of its sheer productive power. His problem lies in its inequality, the system it perpetuates where the few exploit the many.
Honestly, Marx is a bigger fan of democracy than Trump is. I mean, Trump is building an oligarchy; meanwhile, Marx called the Proletarian revolution a movement of the “immense majority in favor of the immense majority.”
To be clear, I am not calling for a violent revolution (or am I?) (THAT’S A JOKE, FBI!). Marx was wrong because he was far too optimistic about class solidarity and the shared interests of exploited people. Do I agree that there is no such thing as liberty without economic liberty? Duh. Do I think communism is inevitable and will naturally be ushered in after the collapse of capitalism? A girl can dream. JOKE, FBI.
To be even clearer, I am not a communist. I think historical materialism is an academically valid and fruitful lens through which to examine literature and modern society. Issues arise when people use Marxism and Communism as buzzwords to incite panic without taking the time to truly understand them. It’s not new to trot out theoretical praise of this text while simultaneously condemning/questioning the actual implementation of its ideas. I’m not reinventing the wheel here. I’m just a girl standing in front of a boy, asking for a 90% tax bracket. Come home, FDR. The kids miss you. Again, joking. I will take the tax bracket, though.
I have doubts as to whether people actually know what Marx's version of communism is. The more I read and the more I have lived since reading this, the more I have fallen in love with the views Marx presents. People point to Russia/China etc. as examples of communism but true Marxist communism has never been employed. Under his view, communism has to go through a natural progression, it can't be forced like Lenin tried. Marx claims that communism is the sort of utopian latter end of society and I can't disagree with him. Very intellectually stimulating read and one that any educated person should try.
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced