The Communist Manifesto (Karl Marx And Freidrich Engels)

I re-read this over the weekend and I have to say I got much more out of it this time than I did when I first read it at age seventeen. Perhaps it is life experience that has made The Communist Manifesto an easier read the second time through, or perhaps it is nearly two years of university education and numerous books. Whatever it is, this time I through I had a smooth, easy read. This time through I was not only reading but also thinking.

By the time I reached the final lines, "Working Men Of All Countries Unite!" I felt I had a better grasp of what Marx and Engels had been trying to say. I also felt, as I did the first time I read this work; I agreed with much of what Marx and Engels had to say.

Naturally, I disagreed with many statements too, which I will not go into here because it would take thousands of words for me to express my thoughts on Marx and Engels. Also, I am sure there are many many reviews and papers on the web offering in-depth analysis of the points which Marx raised. Whether critics, or I suggest that Marx was right or wrong on certain points is irrelevant to new readers of the work, as the readers must interpret The Communist Manifesto and decide for themselves whether Marx and Engels were wrong or right in little, part or everything.

There is one line, which is one of my favourites in the work, and it sums up many of my own beliefs: "the free development of each  is the condition for the free development of all." I firmly believe that people should have access to the education required to reach their full potential, regardless of what class, or income level they've been born into. When all people are given the resources to develop their own minds and skills then we will have taken a step towards a successful and prosperous society.

If you're over the age of eighteen and are an avid reader, but haven't picked up Marx yet, I'd say you're a little behind. Whether you agree or disagree a knowledge of Marx is necessary for a student to function in the academic world. Although Marx is long dead his ideas and the ideas built off of him still flourish, even if many academics read him as history rather than as an author relevant to current times.