Karl Marx
by Karl Marx – the original creator of communism and/or socialism. As much of the world shunned these concepts a few decades previous, the times are turning many to think socialistically, even though they may not know it.
On May 5, 1818 in Trier, Germany, a man destined to be influential in the development of humanity and world history was born: Karl Marx. Having a keen interest in social issues during his high school education, Marx wrote at an early age,
“According to History, the greatest men are those who have worked for the general good. Experience calls him the happiest who has made most people happy” (Hunter, 7).
Consequently, he demonstrated that he knew what he wanted to do with his future; Marx was determined to live up to this standard.
After Marx graduated from High School, he began attending Faculty of Law at the University of Bonn since his father was hoping that his son would be interested in and join him in the profession. Yet Marx had a different agenda. During this time, he studied the works of Hegel, a popular philosopher. Hegel claimed that “historical progress was always the result of conflict between basic, widely held, opposing ideas- the old giving way to the new” (Hunter, 9). Marx was not alone in this matter, many other men during this time enjoyed the philosophy of Hegel and studied his writings extensively. Marx also enjoyed debating Christianity and biblical texts. He believed that the bible was “nothing more than a set of biblical stories adapted to keep the ruling classes in power” (Hunter, 10). As such, Marx became a member of a group that was aimed to achieve the destruction of the “ruling class”. “This group, which included the theologians Bruno Bauer and David Friedrich Strauss, produced a radical critique of Christianity and, by implication, the liberal opposition to the Prussian autocracy” (Kreis).
Due to his extensive studies and passion for the philosophies of Hegel, Marx earned a doctorate in Philosophy. During this time, Marx realized the appalling conditions some were forced to reside in while the “upper class” enjoyed the “luxuries of life”. Consequently, he chose to move into journalism as his profession in order to have some of his views published, read, and discussed.
He married a young girl named Jenny von Westphalen and moved to Köln, Germany. Nearby in the city of Cologne, he was employed as an editor of the prominent liberal newspaper “Rheinische Zeitung”. Upon writing many controversial articles, he was forced to move on. “Marx’s articles, particularly those on economic questions, forced the Prussian government to close the paper” (Kreis). Thus we see that at a very early age, Marx was having an impact on the society in which he resided. Due to the closure of the “Rheinische Zeitung” and sensing that there was nothing more he could carry out in Germany, Marx moved to France.
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