Essay About Karl Marx And Karl Heinrich Marx

Karl Marx
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Karl Marx was the greatest thinker and philosopher of his time. His
views on life and the social structure of his time revolutionized the way
in which people think. He created an opportunity for the lower class to
rise above the aristocrats and failed due to the creation of the middle
class. Despite this failure, he was still a great political leader and set
the basis of Communism in Russia. His life contributed to the way people
think today, and because of him people are more open to suggestion and are
quicker to create ideas on political issues.
Karl Heinrich Marx was born May 5th, 1818 in Trier. Although he had
three other siblings, all sisters, he was the favorite child to his father,
Heinrich. His mother, a Dutch Jewess named Henrietta Pressburg, had no
interest in Karls intellectual side during his life. His father was a
Jewish lawyer, and before his death in 1838, converted his family to
Christianity to preserve his job with the Prussian state. When Heinrichs
mother died, he no longer felt he had an obligation to his religion, thus
helping him in the decision in turning to Christianity.
Karls childhood was a happy and care-free one. His parents had a
good relationship and it help set Karl in the right direction.” His Ð
splendid natural gifts awakened in his father the hope that they would one
day be used in the service of humanity, whilst his mother declared him to
be a child of fortune in whose hands everything would go well. (The story
of his life, Mehring, page 2)
In High school Karl stood out among the crowd. When asked to write
a report on “How to choose a profession” he took a different approach. He
took the angle in which most interested him, by saying that there was no
way to choose a profession, but because of circumstances one is placed in
an occupation. A person with a aristocratic background is more likely to
have a higher role in society as opposed to someone from a much poorer
background.
While at Bonn at the age of eighteen he got engaged to Jenny von
Westphalen, daughter of the upperclassmen Ludwig von Westphalen. She was
the childhood friend of Marxs oldest sister, Sophie. The engagement was a
secret one, meaning they got engaged without asking permission of Jennys
parents. Heinrich Marx was uneasy about this but before long the consent
was given.
Karls school life other than his marks is unknown. He never spoke
of his friends as a youth, and no one has ever came to speak of him through
his life. He left high school in August of 1835 to go on to the University
of Bonn in the fall of the same year to study law. His father wanted him to
be a lawyer much like himself but when Karls reckless university life was
getting in the way after a year Heinrich transferred him to Berlin. Also,
he did not go to most lectures, and showed little interest in what was to
be learned. Karls reckless ways were not tolerated at Berlin, a more
conservative college without the mischievous ways of the other universities.
While at Berlin, Marx became part of the group known as the Yong
Hegelians. The group was organized in part due to the philosophy teacher
Hegel that taught from 1818 to his death. The teachings of Hegel shaped the
way the school thought towards most things. Those who studied Hegel and his
ideals were known as the Young Hegelians. Hegel spoke of the development
and evolution of the mind and of ideas. Although Karl was younger than most
in the group, he was recognized for his intellectual ability and became the
focus of the group. While at Berlin “He came to believe that all the
various sciences and philosophies were part of one overarching, which, when
completed, which would give a true and total picture of the universe and
man.” (Communist Manifesto, Marx (Francis B. Randal), page 15) Marx was an
atheist, and believed that science and philosophy would prove everything.
Thus he had no belief in a god of any type. Marx believed that Hegel must
have been an atheist as well because of his strong belief in the mind.
Marxs doctoral thesis was competed in 1841. It carried the title
“The Difference Between the Philosophies of Nature of Democrtius and
Epicurus.”(The Making of Marxs Critical Theory, Oakley, page 11) It had to
do with the Greek philosopher Epicurus and how his beliefs related to
Marxs of that day. This thesis was an early indication of the thinking
behind Karl Marx. Much of his later work and ideas are evident in this
essay.