Karl Marx

De: Peter Thompson

Narrado por: Philip Rose

Karl Marx was one of the most profoundly influential thinkers of the 19th century. His ideas and theories exerted an almost unrivalled influence on 20th-century politics and history. Peter Thompson’s superb ebook tackles eight core questions, looking at Marx’s thoughts on religion, power and modernity - and how Marxism developed such a hold on socialist ideology.

The How to Believe series of books explores the teachings, philosophies, and beliefs of major thinkers and religious texts. In a short, easy-to-access format, leading writers present new understandings of these perennially important ideas.

©2013 Peter Thompson (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Short but informative Packed with just enough info

has enough to wet one's appetite for learning about Marx. very good primer that gives you both sides.

History Denier Channels Marx

Since Marx isn't around to defend himself against the dismal facts of history regarding his legacy, this dude takes up the banner and waves his little heart out. He takes every settled conclusion and asserts that, actually, it could be said, that the opposite is true.

This is a helpful exercise in exploring the psyche of a committed Marxist, but it is as painfully mind numbing as it sounds.

Why Was this Written?

Mr. Karl Marx was a cranky, pessimistic, pompous self-styled uber-intellect of the 19th century German variety.

His general philosophies, as with most public thinkers of any generation, alas, do not stand the test of time.

What makes Marx singular, then?

Perhaps his audacity, in making specific, bold assertions about future events which he claimed to KNOW were INEVITABILITIES?
All this based on Science he discovered or revealed or concocted, which led to a novel approach to History, which enabled him to KNOW how human progress
would progress.

Except Marx was wrong.

For some reason, Mr. Thompson avoids being clear on this point. Marx. Was. Wrong.
His theories (which is all they ever were, flawed theories and incorrect predictions) were and remain useless.
History itself passed judgment in his own lifetime — Marx did NOT know overly much about the nature or sensibilities of other humans.

Luckily at first, few people relied on
(or had ever heard of) the terribly wrong theories of Marx, based on his irredeemably flawed assumptions about human nature.

Later unfortunately, the name of Marx
was used, invoked as inspiration —
in each and every appalling rendition of
20th century Communist Revolution
made possible and imposed by barbaric, self-styled intellectual authoritarians,
bar none.

Consistently, the hell of Communism
has been observed to be imposed
and to cause misery,
NOT to unfold naturally in an inevitable history.
The utopian nonsense falsely imagined by Marx has been exposed as WRONG!

Why does Mr. Thompson insist on trying to smooth over the literally disproven, worthless truth claims of Marx?

To retain a (perceived) cache
of the Marx brand?

There is a disturbing refusal
(a pretense of confusion) to directly connect Marx and his ideas to
what turned out to be the inevitably
horrific outcomes of the elite revolutions
imposing Communism and claiming inspiration from Marx.

Either way, Marx is irrelevant OR
his name has been hijacked,
his ideas rewritten to conform to reality and he must be treated like others whose ideas lead to totalitarian evil.

Trying to quietly keep the Marx brand in the respectable cannon of Western Philosophy, pretending confusion over his relationship
to Mao or Stalin is shameful!