Friedrich Engels

Friedrich Engels, born on November twenty-eighth, eighteen twenty, in Barmen, Prussia, emerged as a pivotal figure in the realm of political theory and social science. Coming from a prosperous mercantile family, he distanced himself from their devoutly pietistic values early on, embracing a materialist philosophy that would shape his revolutionary ideas. His military service in Berlin introduced him to the Young Hegelians, igniting his passion for critique and reform.

In eighteen forty-two, Engels was sent to Manchester, England, to work in a family-owned cotton mill. This experience exposed him to the harsh realities faced by the industrial working class, inspiring his first major work, The Condition of the Working Class in England, published in eighteen forty-five. His partnership with Karl Marx began in eighteen forty-four in Paris, where they collaborated on critiques of idealist philosophies and laid the groundwork for their materialist conception of history.

Engels and Marx became integral members of the Communist League, which commissioned them to write The Communist Manifesto in eighteen forty-eight. Engels actively participated in the Revolutions of eighteen forty-eight, even engaging in armed combat, before seeking refuge in England. For two decades, he led a dual life in Manchester, balancing his role as a respectable cotton merchant with his commitment to supporting the impoverished Marx family.

After retiring in eighteen seventy, Engels relocated to London, where he became a central figure in the International Workingmen's Association. Following Marx's death in eighteen eighty-three, he dedicated himself to editing Marx's works and promoting their shared philosophy. His influential writings, including Anti-Dühring and Socialism: Utopian and Scientific, played a crucial role in popularizing Marxism and became foundational texts for the Second International. Engels passed away from cancer in London in eighteen ninety-five, with his ashes scattered off Beachy Head.