KARL MARX AND HIS PHILOSOPHY

Karl Marx: His Philosophy and Its Relevance in 21st Century



Karl Marx: His Philosophy and Its Relevance in 21st Century

Introduction

It has been said that the three most important ideas that shaped the twentieth century came from Charles Darwin, Sigmund Freud, and Karl Marx. How and why do certain thinkers significantly influence their times, and even launch new eras? Darwin's theory of evolution and Freudian psychoanalysis both fundamentally altered humanity's understanding of itself. But Marx, his ideas, and what his followers did with his ideas were among the most important factors shaping the political and economic course of the twentieth century. How and why did the ideas of Marx have so much influence as to shape the world? And how might they continue to shape it? While some pundits have pronounced Marxism a flawed analysis and a failed ideology (Langman, Morris & Zalewski, 2002), the proclamation of the death of Marxism may be a bit premature—as witnessed by such current activism as the anti-globalization movement and even the massive protests against the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. This paper discusses the Karl Marx philosophy, its relevance and importance in the 21st century in a concise and comprehensive way.

Karl Marx: His Philosophy and Its Relevance in 21st Century

Marx's ideas influenced not only the rise of unionized labor and of the welfare state (with its leveling mechanisms such as income tax and universal education) but also the Russian Revolution, communism, socialism, and Zionism; even the ethic of the kibbutz owes a debt to Marx. The political consequences have been immense. Fascism arose as a reaction to communism; some 100 million people died in World War II. Following the war, the geopolitical competition between capitalism and socialism (roughly divided east and west), defined the contours of world politics—always with the potential for a nuclear Armageddon.

The formation of the state of Israel in 1947 has shaped the politics of the Middle East to this day. The Chinese Communist Revolution of 1949 still shapes the lives of over a billion people. Worldwide, the postwar anti-colonial struggles for independence were often cast in the Marxist rhetoric of imperialism, class analysis, and socialist revolution. But in 1989, the failures of the Soviet Union either to deliver goods or to fulfill Marx's vision of a humanistic society led to its implosion. Still, Soviet Communists had managed to transform a backward, rural society into a major ...