Was Engels a socialist?

Was Engels a socialist?

Friedrich Engels (/ˈɛŋ(ɡ)əlz/ ENG-(g)əlz, German: [ˈfʁiːdʁɪç ˈʔɛŋl̩s]), sometimes anglicised as Frederick Engels (28 November 1820 – 5 August 1895), was a German philosopher, economist, historian, political theorist and revolutionary socialist.

How did Friedrich Engels feel about communism?

It was during his time in Berlin that Engels became a communist, and also an atheist, something that would have been very shocking to his devoutly Protestant family. He believed that a communist revolution was inevitable somewhere in Europe, due to the oppressed conditions of its workers and their vast numbers.

What were Friedrich Engels beliefs?

At an early age, Engels developed a profound sense of cynicism toward major societal institutions like religion. He was opposed to organized religion and capitalism, much of which was influenced by the writings of German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.

What inspired Friedrich Engels?

Engels was born in Barmen (now Wuppertal). He came from a wealthy Protestant family. At an early age he was influenced by the works of the radical German poet Heinrich Heine and the German philosopher G.W.F. Hegel, and in 1839 he began writing on literary and philosophical topics for a number of publications.

What did Engels say about the family?

Engels argued that family had a clear economic function for capitalism, by ensuring that wealth remained in the hands of the bourgeoisie. Family relations, based on clear legal contracts, facilitate inheritance and therefore when rich people die it is their children who keep hold of their wealth.

What did Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels believed?

In it, Engels and Marx shared the belief that at the basis of all history and social conflict is the struggle between classes. The wealthier class, known as the bourgeoisie, were those who owned the means of production. In other words, they were the ones who profited from free trade and private property ownership.