Karl Marx Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts

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In order to competently grapple with the works of Karl Marx, it becomes necessary to understand his core philosophies, foundations, and the historical, social, and economical climates of his time. During the course of this paper it is my aim to briefly explain these foundations and conditions, as well as put into plain words chosen selections from the Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts and the Communist Manifesto. Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts One of the largest influences on Marxian thought was Georg Hegel’s concept of human history from a teleological point of view. Just as an acorn has a predefined telos (becoming a mature oak), Hegel believed that humans, too, had a destined end (a form of earthly utopia). Furthermore, Hegel believed that this end could be achieved by the human species being over generational periods. Marx further synthesized these ideas to shape his conception of the human telos and the role of the species being. In short, the species being can transform the external world via it’s production, which in turn facilitates the individual beings’ achievement of their natural essence. We see in nature that animals live in full achievement of their telos. They use their energy to navigate the world in accordance with their natural essence. The beaver, for example, dams rivers, searches for food, and raises it’s young. Unlike animals, the human experience and the human potential lies far beyond instinctual subsistence. Human beings are conscious beings, problem solvers, rational thinkers. Our labor is the energy we use to manipulate the world around us; our consciousness, the mental capacity to plan and execute this labor. As a species being we have the will and energy to build granaries, harness nature’s power, and further the development of the telos of man. In the current epoch, Marx asserts these achievements are
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