What Does Karl Marx Represent

“If anything is certain, it is that I myself am not a Marxist,” were ironic words spoken once by none-other than Karl Marx himself. In context, he was referring to his disagreements with Jules Guesde, a figure of French socialism. The two co-authored a document for the French Workers’ Party but Marx later realized that they had differing ideas on the purpose of the document. The context clarifies that Marx was not objecting to the term “Marxist”, just the French interpretation of it. However, regardless of the context of his words, a two-fold question arises. What is Marxism and what does Karl Marx represent?

Firstly, in order to truly gain an understanding of what Marxism is, we must first get to know the man behind it all. According to Karl Marx: A

However, later in life he identified as a non-believer and had complex views on religion as a whole, viewing it as a double edged sword. One of the first influential figures Marx had in his life was his father, a successful lawyer who revered Kant and Voltaire and a passionate activist in Prussian reform. Marx began high school at Friedrich-Wilhelm Gymnasium; the authorities raided the institution after suspecting the principal of being a liberal Kantian. Marx continued his education at the University of Bonn, where his rebellious nature thrived. During the two semesters Marx attended the University, he was imprisoned for drunkenness and disturbing order. Urged by his father, the next year he transferred to the more serious University of Berlin. At that institution he studied philosophy and law. There he also met another great influence in his life, G.W.F. Hegel, his professor. Marx was captivated by Hegel’s philosophy joined a radical group of students, the Young Hegelians, who criticized the political and religious establishments of the day. After his studies he pursued journalism, writing for Rheinische Zeitung, a radical newspaper in Cologne. Then,