Published in 1848, the Communist Manifesto of Marx and Engels is a foundational political document calling for the overthrow of capitalist systems and the establishment of a communist society. It outlines the historical development of class struggle, asserting that history is a series of conflicts between the oppressed proletariat and the ruling bourgeoisie. The manifesto advocates for revolutionary change, proposing the abolition of private property, the centralization of production, and the establishment of a classless society where the means of production are communally owned.
Das Kapital, Marx's magnum opus, further delves into the critique of political economy and the functioning of capitalist economies. Published in 1867, it analyzes the nature of capitalist production, focusing on concepts like surplus value, exploitation, and the accumulation of capital. Marx argues that capitalism inherently leads to the concentration of wealth and the degradation of labor, predicting its eventual collapse and the rise of socialism. The work is a detailed examination of how economic systems perpetuate inequality and how capitalist relations of production are fundamentally flawed, providing a theoretical framework for Marxist thought and revolutionary ideology.
