Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

Question 1

What are Marx and Engels key works?

Answer 1

‘The Communist Manifesto’ (1848) and ‘Das Kapital’ (1867)

Question 2

What did Marx and Engels say that capitalism contaminated human nature into doing?

Answer 2

Selfishness, ruthlessness and greed

Question 2

What did Marx and Engels believe capitalism instilled in mankind?

Answer 2

A ‘false consciousness’

Question 3

What were the two conflicting classes Marx and Engels highlighted in their works?

Answer 3

The Proletariat and the Bourgeoisie

Question 4

What did Marx and Engels believe were the main differences between these conflicting classes?

Answer 4

Harsh inequalities of wealth and power and the exploration of the proletariat

Question 5

Why did Marx and Engels believe that other throwing of capitalist societies was ‘historically inevitable’?

Answer 5

Because of the exploitation of the proletariat in capitalist societies

Question 6

What liberal view about capitalism did Marx and Engels reject?

Answer 6

That capitalism promotes prosperity and individual liberty

Question 7

What is the idea of ‘Surplus Value’ that Marx and Engels suggested?

Answer 7

The difference between the amount raised through a sale of a product and the amount it cost to the owner of that product to manufacture

Question 8

What did Marx and Engels say ‘Surplus Value’ implanted into capitalism?

Answer 8

‘The seeds of its own destruction’ by nurturing resentful class consciousness among workers

Question 9

What liberal notion about the state did Marx and Engels challenge?

Answer 9

That the state was politically neutral

Question 10

Which class did Marx and Engels believe the state served and what the liberal state was?

Answer 10

whichever class controlled the economy the state would serve and consequently the liberal state was ‘merely a committee’ for the ruling capitalist class and therefore could never provide an evolutionary road to socialism

Question 11

What socialist other than Marx and Engels also criticised ‘parliamentary socialism’ championed by organisations like the Labour Party?

Answer 11

Ralph Miliband (1924-1994) and Tariq Ali (1943-)

Question 12

What is ‘a dictatorship of proletariat’

Answer 12

The phase after the revolution against capitalism and before communism where socialist ideas can be cemented and people educated against capitalism which had been cemented in culture

Question 13

What in the view of Marx and Engels is communism?

Answer 13

a stateless comity involving common ownership and the principle of ‘from each according to his ability to each to his needs’