The Communist Manifesto

Marx and Engel's landmark treatise-in a graphic deluxe edition.

One of the most important and influential political theories ever formulated, The Communist Manifesto is a revolutionary summons to the working class-an incisive account of a new theory of communism that would be brought about by a proletarian revolution. Arguing that increasing exploitation of industrial workers will eventually lead to a rebellion in which capitalism will be overthrown, Marx and Engels propose a vision of a society without classes, private property, or a state. The theoretical basis of political systems in Russia, China, Cuba, and Eastern Europe, The Communist Manifesto continues to influence and provoke debate on capitalism and class.

This Norton Critical Edition offers a complete historical and philosophical introduction to Marx's Manifesto of the Communist Party.

Karl Marx studied law and philosophy at the universities of Bonn and Berlin, completing his doctorate in 1841. Expelled from Prussia in 1844, he took up residence first in Paris and then in London where, in 1867, he published his magnum opus Capital. A co-founder of the International Workingmen’s Association in 1864, Marx died in London in 1883.

Frederic L. Bender is Professor of Philosophy and Chairman of the Philosophy Department at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. He is the author of The Betrayal of Marx, and editor of Karl Marx: The Essential Writings.