Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels: The German Ideology

The German Ideology was arguably the very first, real, concrete 'Marxist' work. Laying out the future for historical materialism, dialectical materialism, division of labor, and alienation via the labor process. From the start, Part I offers a huge response to the Young Hegelians, who at the time, were the mainstream philosophers of Germany. Marx and Engels saw the necessity for a dialectical philosophy in the form of Hegel but radically changed in content. A content that serves as something more material and concrete.

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Timestamp:
Intro: 0:00
Illusions of German Ideology: 2:15
History and Consciousness: 5:26
The Real Basis of Ideology: 8:15
The Relation of State and Law to Property: 12:47
Proletarians and Communism: 16:41
A Message: 22:43

[epochphilosophy]

Hi, everyone! Hope this video serves useful as to understand early Marxist philosophy! As always, these videos take a ton of time and resources to make. For this, Patreon and the YouTube membership section are critical for this channel to survive. If anyone feels so inclined to help keep this channel going, I give out early access, exclusive content, etc. Other than pure generosity, hopefully there is something valuable for you all! Appreciate you all!

[dialecticalveganegoist]

Another great summary of a difficult text, it makes re-reading them alot easier

[ryant.]

As an addict I can verify from personal experience that material conditions are what shape my ideas. I didn't begin to recover until my material conditions were bad enough to break through my denial. As I got shelter, food, and separation from the drug of my choice my ideas began to change.

[adambutt]

For real tho, shoutout to all the rich people who help keep this channel going. Thanks for being on our side with this.

[stephenhill]

A lot of people hate Marx and have never even read or tried to understand his writings where his ideas came from or the history they just reject his writings out of hand

[Yellow.]

very good as always, this quality deserves more views

[mehhhchelle]

This made re-reading the text so much more understandable, thank you! great explanations!

[DJWESG]

Arguably his best work. Capital gets all the glory, but this short essay is in my opinion far more powerful and accessable.

[fatetwister]

Your channel has been so good. Thank you for the world you are doing simplifying and translating these texts. I never had a real shot to go to collage so content like this is such a strong intro and makes the ramp of learning a little smoother. Started a book club pushing some friends (and holding myself accountable) to do intro philosophy and left theory. Your videos have been a great 2nd deeper step from some of the bigger channels.

[AceFromGorillaz]

Noone on earth has explained capitalism better than Marx, not even capitalist ideologues. Marx observed society studied capitalism to its tiniest detail and came to the conclusion of society's solution

[Attalic]

Please do one on Antonio Gramsci! That would be a really good video!

[theultimatereductionist]

Karl Marx and Engels were the only ones brave enough to have TRULY ORIGINAL and IMPORTANT ideas in age where only nationalism, religion, culture, unelected monarchs forced their way of life onto millions of people and billions of innocent nonhuman animals.

[bishwashbhatta]

I am sharing this you deserve more audience

[armorpizda]

Your videos are among the best and most helpful of video essays on YT.
The videos on Marxism are great summaries and have helped me wrap my head around his works for my master's essays. Keep it up!
I would like to see your take on some post-modernists, say Foucault's "Lectures at the College de France".

[CrazyLinguiniLegs]

Can you imagine Engels eating soup or drinking tea in the presence of others?

[fatihcecen]

Ideology Series
Next
Lenin What is to be done? the change of the meaning of the term ideology
Maybe Gramsci as pre Althusser
Althusser Ideology the 2nd change of the meaning of the term ideology
Mannheim Ideology and Utopia Maybe a third meaning a historical comparison.

[LogicGated]

This was a difficult one to read, this is definitely gonna be helpful because I'm sure I missed a lot on my first read through.

[hassanshayegannik]

The two greatest of all times whom nobody has superseded. Thanks!

[Pamela-nyjz]

In 2016 I started talking to people about call Marx. I thought they were going to stone me. I tried to tell him it’s not what you think it is but they all put up their guard and said we hate Karl Marx without any explanation as to why? Then you show them exactly what’s going on and Marx had it on the point as easy to see is how we live today.

What’s wrong with people?

[henryberrylowry]

This is why I think the German Ideology is one of their weakest texts. In terms of understanding the development of Marx and Engels thinking, it is fundamental...much like understanding how the scientific process had to have gone through a series of abstract symbolisms in order to then be turned onto the beings who engage the world scientifically, ie us.
That being said, Hegel already lays this foundation and it is unfair to explain Hegel away as someone who didnˋt deal with material forces influencing consciousness. He did this in a more fundamental way than Marx did and marx ends up acknowledging this in Capital through his very schema. Hegel is very clear about material forces presupposing their universal comprehension in conceptual form.
The problem with Hegel is that he seems to believe that history having reached a point of collective self awareness itself canˋt be surpassed. Although, this too could be refuted because, as Hegel opines in the intro to his Rechtsphilosophie, that thought merely comes on the scene after the fact in order to then decipher the proverbial hyroglyphs Marx speaks of a few chapters into the first volume of Capital.
Nevertheless, Marx outsmarts Hegel concerning the emphasis of the modes of production, thus material forces as subsequently conceptually comprehended, by using very literal examples given during his time such as those of the various Factory Inspectors of England and Scotland or, and theoretically more pertinent in a way Hegel died too early to grasp, the way in which the accumulation of capital takes the form of an independent force that rules the activity of the people engaged in the process. And in this way, Marx overrrides Hegel, but not by flipping him on his head on his own terms, but by taking the helm of a ship the direction of which Hegel couldnˋt have himself seen.
If anything Marx is to Hegel what Jesus is to God. Marx uses abstract thinking in order to concretize it. Hegel used concrete thought in order to abstract it.