Marxism

Brecht was a life long committed Marxist. This means that because he was a political theatre maker the political viewpoint he would be trying to get across to the audience through his work would be that of Marxism. Marxism is based on the ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. They wrote the communist manifesto. Many countries have had communist governments such as China (currently) and Russia (1900s). The mainstream view on communism today is that it is too idealistic, corrupt and an impossible system to run successfully. However, the communism in Russia and in China today isn't the communism written about it the communist manifesto. Yes, it was based on the same ideologies, but the corruption was linked to the individual leaders and countries not to the ideology itself.

The interesting thing about Karl Marx himself was that he never spent his time trying to push forward his ideas. He also spent most of his life in complete poverty along with his wife, most of his children died before he did. Engels however, came from a wealthy family, the sort of family who profited well from the capitalist society Engels and Marx were so critical of. However, Engels funded much of Marx's life expenses throughout their friendship.

Marxist ideals are what make-up the origins of left wing and socialist politics. The British Labour party in its roots was a socialist party. Although in modern day politics it has changed and evolved far from this, some of the same values are still held. Marxists are very critical of capitalist society. They see the gap between the rich and poor as a great inequality in society. They argue that nobody should own their own property. They think everyone should pay into the government and that the government and the state should be able to fund people's living expenses. This would mean no divide between the rich and the poor and that everyone is equal.

Marxists would look at people's social class and see it as a major inequality. The lack of social mobility in some societies, especially in most European societies in 1848 when the manifesto was published, was an issue. If you were born into poverty, you would stay in poverty. If you were born into a family where your father was a blacksmith, you would become a blacksmith. With the rise of Marxism, and in Britain more socialism this has changed. With the welfare state and free education for children, people have more individualism and can choose what they want to do much more then they could in Marx's time.

Karl Marx was kicked out of most countries in Europe for the ideas he wrote about, he ended up in England. This is where he died and is now buried in High gate cemetery, where the British Communist party requested him to be re buried from his original plot, to a plot on the main walkway for people to see.