ABSTRACT

This work is titled “The notion of the revolution and liberation in Marx's philosophy". In this
work, some key terms used in Marx's philosophy will be defined, we shall look briefly into the
biography of Karl Marx, His influencial contributions, we will discuss on the history of the
communist manifesto and under that, we shall discuss on the Bourgeois and Proletarians,
Proletarians and Communists. We will then move forward to discuss Marx's theory of
Revolution and the Liberation through Proletarian Revolution. Also we shall further examine
some critiques of Marx's work by other philosophers, then we proceed to the conclusion.
INTRODUCTION

Karl Marx's philosophy on revolution and liberation is a cornerstone of his critique of capitalism
and his vision for a communist society. At the heart of Marx's theory is the belief that societal
change can only occur through a revolutionary process that overthrows the existing class
structures and creates a pathway to a classless society where individuals are free from
oppressive economic conditions. Marx argues that the capitalist system is inherently
exploitative, leading to the alienation and oppression of the working class. He believes that true
liberation can only be achieved through a revolutionary transformation of the existing social
and economic structures.

Marx sees revolution as a necessary and inevitable outcome of the contradictions within the
capitalist system. He argues that the working class, or proletariat, will eventually rise up against
the bourgeoisie, who control the means of production and exploit the labor of the proletariat.
This revolution, according to Marx, will lead to the establishment of a classless society where
the means of production are collectively owned and controlled.

Furthermore, Marx views this revolution as a key component of achieving true liberation for the
working class. He argues that under capitalism, individuals are alienated from their labor, from
the products of their labor, and from each other. Through revolutionary action and the
establishment of a socialist society, Marx envisions the liberation of the working class from
these forms of alienation. This work aim at exploring on the notion of Revolution and liberation
in Marx Philosophy
DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS

REVOLUTION:

Revolution is a fundamental change in a society or government, often involving a complete

overthrow of the existing system. It is characterized by rapid and profound transformations in
political, social, and economic structures.

Marx saw revolution as a necessary means for the working class to overthrow the ruling class
and establish a socialist system. He believed that the capitalist system was inherently flawed
and that it would eventually lead to a revolution led by the proletariat.

LIBERATION:

Liberation refers to the act of setting someone free from oppression, confinement, or
domination. It often involves the struggle for freedom, equality, and justice, aiming to empower
individuals or groups who have been marginalized or oppressed.

Marx believed that the working class needed to be liberated from the oppression of the ruling
class. He saw the capitalist system as exploitative and believed that the working class could only
be truly liberated through a socialist system where the means of production are owned
collectively.

PROLETARIAT:

Proletariat refers to the working class in a capitalist society, typically laborers who do not own
the means of production and must sell their labor power to survive. They are often exploited by
the bourgeoisie and have historically been at the forefront of revolutionary movements seeking
social and economic change.

Marx saw the proletariat as the working class who were exploited by the bourgeoisie. The
proletariat were the ones who sold their labor for wages and were alienated from the products
of their labor. Marx believed that the proletariat had the potential to overthrow the
bourgeoisie and establish a socialist system.
BOURGEOISIE:

Bourgeoisie represents the capitalist class in society, who own the means of production and
exploit the labor of the proletariat for profit. They are characterized by their ownership of
wealth, property, and control over the economy, often at the expense of the working class.
Marx saw the bourgeoisie as the ruling class who owned the means of production and exploited
the proletariat. The bourgeoisie were the ones who profited from the labor of the proletariat
and controlled the political and economic systems. Marx believed that the bourgeoisie were the
main obstacle to the liberation of the working class.

HISTORICAL MATERIALISM:

Marx's theory of historical materialism posits that societal change is driven by conflicts between
different social classes. He believed that capitalism would inevitably lead to its own downfall
due to internal contradictions, paving the way for a proletarian revolution (Marx & Engels,
1848).

CLASS STRUGGLE:

Marx emphasized the importance of class struggle as a motor force of historical change. He
argued that the proletariat, or working class, would rise up against the bourgeoisie, or capitalist
class, in a revolutionary overthrow of the existing social order (Marx, 1867).

REVOLUTIONARY SUBJECT:

For Marx, the proletariat is the revolutionary subject capable of bringing about radical social
transformation. He envisioned a proletarian revolution as a decisive break with capitalist
exploitation, leading to the establishment of a communist society (Marx & Engels, 1848).

KARL MARX BIOGRAPHY

Marx, Karl Heinrich (1818–1883), revolutionary and thinker.He was a German philosopher,
economist, sociologist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist who is best known for his
influential critiques of capitalism and his vision of a classless, communist society.

Karl Marx was born on May 5, 1818, in Trier, Kingdom of Prussia (now in Germany). He studied
law, history, and philosophy at the University of Bonn and the University of Berlin (Sperber,
2013).

Marx was deeply influenced by the philosophy of G. W. F. Hegel, particularly Hegel's dialectical
method and his concept of historical development (Hegel, 1821).

In the 1840s, Marx became involved with various radical political groups and began
developing his own theory of communism in collaboration with Friedrich Engels (Marx & Engels,
1848).

His Major Works include:

“The Communist Manifesto": Published in 1848, this pamphlet co-authored with Friedrich
Engels outlines the principles of communism and calls for a proletarian revolution to overthrow
capitalist society (Marx & Engels, 1848).

"Das Kapital": Marx's seminal work on political economy, published in three volumes between
1867 and 1894, critically analyzes the capitalist mode of production and lays out his theory of
surplus value (Marx, 1867).

LATER LIFE AND LEGACY:

Exile and Political Activities: Due to his radical political views, Marx lived much of his life in exile,
primarily in London, where he continued to write and participate in political activities (Sperber,
2013). Karl Marx died on March 14, 1883, in London. Despite initial obscurity, his ideas gained
prominence in the 20th century, inspiring various socialist and communist movements around
the world (Sperber, 2013).
MARX'S INFLUENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Karl Marx, a German philosopher, left an indelible mark on political theory and philosophy. His
ideas continue to resonate across disciplines, shaping our understanding of society, economics,
and politics. His most influential contributions are:

1. Marxism: Karl Marx's most significant legacy is “Marxism" a comprehensive social, political,
and economic theory. Marxists adhere to the ideas he proposed in the 19th century. His work
has profoundly impacted how we perceive the relationship between the economy and the
people within it.

Marxism is a social, economic and political philosophy that analyses the impact of the ruling
class on the laborers, leading to uneven distribution of wealth and privileges in the society. It
stimulates the workers to protest the injustice. The theory was formulated by Karl Marx and
Fredrich Engels in their work, ‘The Communist Manifesto’. it was a pamphlet they created
during the age of Imperialism, rooting from their own struggles as members of the proletariat
lot. According to Marx, History demonstrates the existence of class struggle centuries earlier.
He explains the struggle through five stages.

1. Primitive Communism, the age of Hunter-gatherers where every human was treated
equally hence, there was an absence of class.
2. The Age of Slavery where there was class distinction between the aristocrats and the
slaves.
3. Feudalism where the struggle was between Landlords, owners and the people who
rented or used their lands for agriculture.
4. Capitalism, where the labor community (Proletariat) worked their lives off only for the
ruling class (Bourgeoisie) to profit from them. This is the stage where Mark and Engels
compile ‘Communist manifesto’ from their plight as workers for the British Factory
owners.
5. Socialism is the phase that Marx believed the proletariats would revolt for their justice
and eventually form a communist society, free of class distinctions and equal wealth.
2. Philosophy and Sociology:

“Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.”This
famous declaration by Marx encapsulates his belief that philosophy should lead to practical
action. He aimed not just to analyze the world but also to transform it.

His observations on economics influenced our understanding of “boom-bust cycles", the

connection between market competition and technological progress, and the tendency toward
“monopolies".

Marx also foresaw aspects of globalization, emphasizing the importance of international trade
and interconnected markets.

During mid-Victorian capitalism, when urban poverty and social upheaval were rampant,
Marx dissected the exploitative relationship between property owners and the property-less
masses. Factory workers toiled for meager wages, while owners accumulated wealth by
extracting value from their labor.

3. Political Movements and Revolution:

Marx's ideas inspired political movements worldwide. Masses of new industrial workers
rallied behind his thought, leading to revolutions and reforms in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Unions, labor parties, and social democratic movements drew from Marxist principles.

Governments self-identified as "Marxist" emerged, implementing dogmatic interpretations of

his theories. His work, though no longer dominant in social sciences and humanities, continues
to help theorists analyze complex social structures.

HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO

"The Communist Manifesto" stems from the joint development of ideas between Marx and
Engels, but Marx alone wrote the final draft. The text became a significant political influence on
the German public and led to Marx being expelled from the country. This prompted his
permanent move to London and the pamphlet's 1850 publication in English for the first time.

Despite its controversial reception in Germany and its pivotal role in Marx's life, the text didn't
receive a great deal of attention until the 1870s. Then, Marx took a prominent role in the
International Workingmen's Association and publicly supported the 1871 Paris commune and
socialist movement. The text also grew in popularity because of its role in a treason trial held
against German Social Democratic Party leaders.

After it became more widely known, Marx and Engels revised and republished the book into the
version familiar with readers today. The manifesto has been widely read around the world since
the late 19th century and remains the foundation for critiques of capitalism. It has inspired calls
for social, economic, and political systems organized by equality and democracy rather than
exploitation.

THE BOURGEOIS AND PROLETARIANS

"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles."

In the first part of the manifesto, Marx and Engels explain the evolution of capitalism and the
exploitative class structure that resulted from it. While political revolutions overturned the
unequal hierarchies of feudalism, in their place sprung a new class system composed primarily
of a bourgeoisie (owners of the means of production) and proletariat (wage workers). Marx and
Engels explain:

"The modern bourgeois society that has sprouted from the ruins of feudal society has not done
away with class antagonisms. It has but established new classes, new conditions of oppression,
new forms of struggle in place of the old ones."

The bourgeoisie achieved state power by creating and controlling the post-feudal political
system. Consequently, Marx and Engels explain, the state reflects the world views and interests
of the wealthy and powerful minority and not those of the proletariat, who make up the
majority of society.

Next, Marx and Engels discuss the cruel, exploitative reality of what happens when workers are
forced to compete with each other and sell their labor to the owners of capital. When this
occurs, the social ties that used to bind people together are stripped away. Workers become
expendable and replaceable, a concept known as a "cash nexus."

PROLETARIANS AND COMMUNISTS

"In place of the old bourgeois society, with its classes and class antagonisms, we shall have an
association, in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of
all."

In this section, Marx and Engels explain what the Communist Party wants for society. They
begin by pointing out that the organization stands out because it does not represent a
particular faction of workers. Rather, it represents the interests of workers (the proletariat) as a
whole. The class antagonisms that capitalism creates and bourgeoisie rule shape these
interests, which transcend national borders.

The Communist Party seeks to turn the proletariat into a cohesive class with clear and unified
class interests, to overthrow the rule of the bourgeoisie, and to seize and redistribute political
power. The key to doing this, Marx and Engels say, is the abolition of private property. Marx
and Engels acknowledge that the bourgeoisie respond to this proposition with scorn and
derision.

In the Manifesto, Marxs described the nature of Commonist society as one in which the classes
and its antagonisms would have disappeared. The bourgeois society would be replaced by "an
association, in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of
all (Marx 1975: 76) For the purpose of socializing the means of production, Marx and Engels go
on to state the 10 goals of the Communist Party:
 1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes.
2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.
3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance.
4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.
5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with State
capital and an exclusive monopoly.
6. Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the State.
7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State; the bringing
into cultivation of waste-lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance
with a common plan.
8. Equal liability of all to work. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for
agriculture.
9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of all the
distinction between town and country by a more equable distribution of the populace
over the country.
10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children’s factory labor in
its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, etc.

MARX’S THEORY OF REVOLUTION

For Marx, revolution was not just a political upheaval but a complete transformation of
society's economic and social structures. He saw history as a series of class struggles, where the
oppressed class would eventually rise against the oppressors, leading to a period of
revolutionary change. This is encapsulated in his famous phrase, "Workers of the world unite;
you have nothing to lose but your chains."

According to Marx, a revolution occurs when two classes within a society compete for control
over the means of production. This relationship has occurred throughout several historical
stages, from Greece and Rome’s classical aristocracies to feudalism and Marx’s industrial
capitalism era. In each of these stages, the class in control of production (masters, lords,
capitalists) is challenged by the exploited underclass (slaves, serfs, and the proletariat) in a
revolutionary process that results in a new political and economic Superstructure. This process
is known as dialectical materialism, and Marx argued it was a predictive formula for
understanding the progression of economic and political history. Taking this formula and
applying it to his age, Marx presents many claims regarding how human society’s future would
develop. Central to this is the clash between the proletariat and the capitalist bourgeoisie,
which Marx argues will result in the proletariat class overthrowing the capitalist institutions
within society, and ultimately replacing them with a communist society free of hierarchical
dominance. While his theory has been far from perfect in predicting the specific events of
revolutions that have occurred since publishing the Communist Manifesto in 1848, this does
not mean his works were not influential. (Marx, 1848)

As one of the first political philosophers who contemplated how material conditions influence
revolutions, Marx pioneered a whole political science discipline and inspired countless thinkers
after him. Structuralists, like Barrington Moore and several of his students, have expanded on a
concept first presented by Marx that is central to his understanding of revolutions. As he put it
in the opening remarks of the Communist Manifesto, “In a word, oppressor and oppressed,
stood in constant opposition to one another, carried on an uninterrupted… fight that each time
ended, either in a revolutionary reconstruction of society at large or in the common ruin of the
contending classes.” Here Marx argues that revolutions result from the social and economic
structures present within a society, and structuralist thinkers after him understand this to be
the primary cause of revolutionary situations and outcomes. In addition to those who heavily
draw on Marx’s theories, even scholars who do not accept a strictly structuralist interpretation
of revolutions are influenced by his arguments. For example, professor and theorist Ted Gurr
gives more attention to the individual and personal factors present within societies that lead to
revolution. One of the defining distinctions between Gurr’s three stages of revolution is
contingent on the level of dissatisfaction elites have with the current regime. This idea is clearly
influenced by Marx’s arguments from the Communist Manifesto regarding the ‘petty
bourgeoisie’ in revolutions. Marx acknowledges how the nature of bourgeois society constantly
threatens the status of the petty bourgeoisie. For this reason, he argued it is natural to have
“these intermediate classes… take up the cudgels for the workings class”. Ultimately, Marx’s
ideas presented in the Communist Manifesto were some of the earliest attempts to account for
the social factors that lead to revolutions. Any analysis of a revolutionary situation or outcome
is incomplete without his contributions. (Marx, 1848).

LIBERATION THROUGH PROLETARIAN REVOLUTION

Liberation, according to Marx, is achieved when the proletariat overthrows the bourgeoisie and
takes control of the means of production. This act of seizing power is the essence of the
proletarian revolution. The revolution aims to abolish private property and establish a system
of collective ownership, which Marx believed would lead to the end of class divisions and
exploitation.

In a liberated, post-revolutionary society, the state—which Marx argued is an instrument of

class oppression—would wither away, as there would no longer be any classes to suppress. The
ultimate goal is to reach a state of communism, where the phrase "from each according to his
ability, to each according to his needs" becomes the guiding principle of society. The following
will be considered under the liberation:

1. Human Alienation: Marx argued that under capitalism, workers are alienated from their
labor, the products of their labor, and their own human nature. He envisioned communism as a
form of liberation from this alienation, allowing individuals to realize their full human potential
(Marx, 1844).

2. Communist Society: Marx's vision of communism is based on the principle of "from each
according to his ability, to each according to his needs." He believed that in a communist
society, the means of production would be collectively owned, and individuals would be
liberated from the constraints of class, property, and exploitation (Marx, 1875).

3. Emancipation of the Proletariat: Marx saw the liberation of the proletariat as intertwined
with the emancipation of humanity as a whole. He believed that a communist revolution would
not only free the working class from capitalist oppression but also lay the foundation for a more
just and equitable society (Marx & Engels, 1848).

CRITIQUE

Marx's ideas on revolution and liberation have been subject to extensive critique and
interpretation. Critics argue that his vision of a classless society is utopian and that his belief in
the withering away of the state is unrealistic.

Others point out that revolutions inspired by Marx's ideas, such as in Russia and China, did not
lead to the liberated societies he envisioned but instead resulted in authoritarian regimes.

There have been many philosophers who have criticized Marx's ideas and theories, including:

Friedrich Nietzsche: Nietzsche criticized Marx's emphasis on equality, arguing that it led to a
suppression of individuality and creativity.

Max Weber: Weber disagreed with Marx's historical materialism, arguing that cultural factors,
rather than just economic factors, played an important role in shaping society.

Leo Strauss: Strauss criticized Marx's rejection of traditional values and argued that his ideas
were fundamentally flawed because they ignored human nature.

Karl Popper: Popper criticized Marx's claim that historical laws could be discovered through
scientific analysis, arguing that history was too complex and unpredictable to be subject to such
analysis.
Robert Nozick: Nozick argued that Marx's ideas were incompatible with individual freedom, as
his vision of a socialist society would require significant government intervention and control.

Despite these critiques, Marx's philosophy has had a profound impact on political thought and
action. His ideas continue to inspire movements for social and economic justice around the
world, and his critique of capitalism remains relevant in discussions about income inequality,
workers' rights, and the future of global economies.

CONCLUSION

Marx's notion of revolution and liberation is a complex framework that seeks to understand
and address the root causes of societal inequalities. It proposes a radical restructuring of
society through collective action and the establishment of a new economic order aimed at
ensuring freedom and equality for all.
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