Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels: A Life of Revolutionary Thought
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Friedrich Engels was born as Friedrich Engels on November 28, 1820, in Wuppertal, Germany. His full name is often written as Friedrich Marx Engels, reflecting his close relationship with Karl Marx.
Birth and Death Dates
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Engels lived a long life, passing away on August 5, 1895, at the age of 74, in London, England.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Friedrich Engels was a German philosopher, sociologist, historian, and journalist. He is best known for his significant contributions to Marxist theory and his lifelong association with Karl Marx.
Early Life and Background
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Engels was born into a wealthy textile manufacturing family in Wuppertal. His father, Friedrich Engels Sr., owned a large factory that produced cotton goods. From an early age, Engels showed a keen interest in philosophy, politics, and literature. He studied law at the University of Berlin but never pursued a career as a lawyer.
Major Accomplishments
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Engels' life was marked by significant accomplishments, particularly in his contributions to Marxist theory. His most notable works include:
The Condition of the Working Class in England (1845): A groundbreaking study that highlighted the dire living conditions and treatment of workers during the Industrial Revolution.
The Communist Manifesto (1848): Co-authored with Karl Marx, this influential document outlined the principles of communism and served as a call to action for the working class.
Notable Works or Actions
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Engels' writings were not limited to theoretical works. He was also an accomplished journalist, contributing articles to various publications, including The New York Tribune under the pseudonym "F. M." Engels was known for his sharp wit and incisive commentary on politics and social issues.
Impact and Legacy
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Engels' impact on modern thought is immeasurable. His work with Karl Marx helped shape the principles of communism, which has inspired movements and revolutions worldwide. As a historian and sociologist, Engels shed light on the struggles of the working class, providing a foundation for future social and economic reform.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Friedrich Engels is widely quoted and remembered for his insightful writings, which continue to resonate with people today. His commitment to social justice and his unwavering dedication to the cause of labor rights have made him an enduring figure in modern history.
Engels' legacy extends beyond his written works, as he played a crucial role in shaping the lives of those around him, including Karl Marx, whose relationship with Engels was marked by deep affection and intellectual camaraderie.
Quotes by Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels's insights on:
Freedom does not consist in any dreamt-of independence from natural laws, but in the knowledge of these laws, and in the possibility this gives of systematically making them work towards definite ends.
We find two great gangs of political speculators, who alternately take possession of the state power and exploit it by the most corrupt ends -- the nation is powerless against these two great cartels of politicians who are ostensibly its servants, but in reality dominate and plunder it.
Terror consists mostly of useless cruelties perpetrated by frightened people in order to reassure themselves.
What is Communism? Communism is the doctrine of the conditions of the liberation of the proletariat. What is the proletariat? The proletariat is that class in society which lives entirely from the sale of its labor and does not draw profit from any kind of capital; whose weal and woe, whose life and death, whose sole existence depends on the demand for labor....
All the other large and small nationalities and peoples are destined to perish before long in the revolutionary world storm... The next world war will result in the disappearance from the face of the earth not only of reactionary classes and dynasties, but also of entire reactionary peoples. And that, too, is a step forward.
![...it was always our view that in order to attain this [proletarian revolution] and the other far more important aims of the future social revolution, the working class must first take possession of the organised political power of the state and by its aid crush the resistance of the capitalist class and organise society anew.](/_vercel/image?url=https:%2F%2Flakl0ama8n6qbptj.public.blob.vercel-storage.com%2Fquotes%2Fquote-1384812.png&w=1536&q=100)
...it was always our view that in order to attain this [proletarian revolution] and the other far more important aims of the future social revolution, the working class must first take possession of the organised political power of the state and by its aid crush the resistance of the capitalist class and organise society anew.
![Just as Darwin discovered the law of evolution in organic nature, so Marx discovered the law of evolution in human history; he discovered the simple fact, hitherto concealed by an overgrowth of idealogy [sic], that mankind must first of all eat and drink, have shelter and clothing, before it can pursue politics, science, religion, art etc.](/_vercel/image?url=https:%2F%2Flakl0ama8n6qbptj.public.blob.vercel-storage.com%2Fquotes%2Fquote-1384810.png&w=1536&q=100)
Just as Darwin discovered the law of evolution in organic nature, so Marx discovered the law of evolution in human history; he discovered the simple fact, hitherto concealed by an overgrowth of idealogy [sic], that mankind must first of all eat and drink, have shelter and clothing, before it can pursue politics, science, religion, art etc.