Karl Marx was a Prussian (German) born philosopher, author and economic revolutionary. He was born in 1818 and his father intended him to be a law major, but he had disciplinary problems at the Universities and decided to pursue literature and philosophy. Two of his greatest influences was Georg Wilhelm Friedrich von Hegel, and Ludwig Feuerbach, who each had contrasting ideas on how the world functioned. Marx combined their ideas to develop his idea of dialectical materialism. Marx's most important acquaintance during his life was Friedrich Engles, who often supported Marx with money. Marx's most famous work, The Communist Manifesto was written in 1848 protesting the current economic and social system which he believed was trapping the proletarians (commoners) under to overwhelming power of the bourgeoisie (upper class). Marx's personal experiences with financial troubles and personal loss (4 of his 7 children died and his wife suffered a great mental toll) vastly influenced his desire for change to the system. His biased point of view, although it contributes to the document, also limits it, due to it's one sidedness. Marx uses a myriad of words and phrases that all are anti-bourgeoisie. He compares the bourgeoisie to the proletarians using "freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, lord and serf... oppressor and oppressed." He wishes to abolish all property that is owned by the bourgeoisie and distribute all wealth evenly between all people. In the final words of the Manifesto, Marx calls for all proletarians to unite against the bourgeoisie.
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