1844 Manuscripts

Georg Lukács's "History and Class Consciousness" is a landmark work in Western Marxism, exploring the relationship between history, class consciousness, and revolutionary praxis. Lukács introduces the concept of reification, arguing that capitalist society transforms social relations into seemingly objective things, obscuring their true nature. He emphasizes the importance of achieving class consciousness, a transformative understanding of one's position within the capitalist system. Lukács's work challenges traditional Marxist interpretations of history and emphasizes the role of subjective experience in shaping social reality. His ideas have had a lasting impact on critical theory and Marxist thought.

In 'Being and Time', Heidegger delves into the fundamental question of what it means to 'be'. The book is divided into two main divisions: the first analyzes the existentials of Dasein, or 'being-in-the-world', while the second grounds these existentials in temporality. Heidegger introduces key concepts such as 'Dasein', 'Being-with', and the three temporal ecstases (having-been, present, and to-come), emphasizing that Dasein's existence is essentially futural and characterized by its possibilities and projects. The work challenges traditional philosophical notions of subject and object, instead positing that Dasein is inseparable from its world and historical context.

Written during the winter of 1857-58, the 'Grundrisse' develops the arguments outlined in the 'Communist Manifesto' and explores themes that would dominate Marx's later work 'Capital'. It includes Marx's own version of Hegel's dialectics and his mature views on labor, surplus value, and profit, offering insights into alienation, automation, and the dangers of capitalist society. The work provides a unique insight into Marx's wider-ranging philosophy and his hopes for the foundation of a communist state.

Karl Marx's Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 are a collection of writings that explore the nature of alienation, private property, and communism. These essays delve into Marx's early critique of capitalism, focusing on the dehumanizing effects of industrial labor. He examines how capitalism alienates workers from their labor, the products of their labor, their fellow workers, and ultimately, themselves. Marx's analysis lays the groundwork for his later, more mature works, such as Das Kapital. The manuscripts offer a profound and enduring critique of the social and economic structures of capitalism.

Das Kapital is a comprehensive critique of capitalism written by Karl Marx. The work is divided into three volumes. Volume I, published in 1867, focuses on the production process of capital, introducing the concept of surplus value and the exploitation of labor. Volume II, published posthumously in 1885, examines the circulation of capital, while Volume III, published in 1894, discusses the capitalist process as a whole, including the internal differentiation of the capitalist class and the tendency of the rate of profit to fall. Marx argues that capitalism is characterized by the exploitation of labor, leading to class conflict and eventual crises that necessitate the emergence of a new mode of production.