Marx Madness! Karl Marx, The Man, The Myths, The Legend

March is here. You know what that means, MARCH MADNESS! This is the time where every single blog on the face of the planet is required to have a  March Madness series going on. Thus I present to you Marx Madness! Karl Marx, The Man, The Myths, The Legend.

There are so many different interpretations of him and his writing that he himself once said “I am not a Marxist.” I’m going to try and clear up some of the mystery around this pivotal man.

Karl Marx, The Man Part One

Karl Marx was born in the town of Trier in the year 1818 to Heinrich and Henrietta Marx. His father descended from a long line of rabbis but he himself was not a follower of the Jewish faith. Heinrich was a well-to-do lawyer and Karl adored him. Marx was the 3rd child born but only the 2nd to survive. He had an older sister and 6 younger siblings.

Karl was a smart but spoiled child. One of his neighbors was the Baron Von Westphalen, who’s daughter eventually became Karl’s wife. Karl and the Baron would often take walks with each other discussing Homer, Shakespeare, and many others. Karl first attended the University of Bonn at which he stayed for a year before being transferred to the University of Berlin. There he was known as a partier and was sued for non-payment of debts several times. One poem that he had written at that time goes like this:

Then I will wander godlike and victorious

Through the ruins of the world

And, giving my words an active force,

I will feel equal to the Creator.

As of yet Marx was not interested in politics. As Robert Payne (a biographer of Marx) said “He was a man with a peculiar faculty for relishing disaster.”

Marx eventually found his way to the University of Jena where he quickly graduated. Jena was known at the time for being an easier institution which was probably what attracted Karl there.

Well that’s all the time we have for today. Come back on Monday for next weeks installment of Marx Madness! Karl Marx, The Man, The Myths, the Legend. 

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always if you have any questions or comments don’t hesitate to contact me in private by heading over to the Contact Me page, or just commenting below.

If you would like to read more on the topic of Karl Marx and his writings, I would highly recommend the book Marxism by Thomas Sowell.