Defining revolution: An examination of Marx and his works

Abstract

Throughout his writings, Karl Marx speaks of revolution, and how this will allow for a transition towards a communist society. However, due to the language he uses, it has been easy for some people to misunderstand what he means by the term ‘revolution.’ Indeed, this has led some people to misrepresent his philosophy, citing Marx as a supporter of coup d’états and political revolutions when in reality he supports a more transformational process of social revolution. Although Marx uses the term revolution, there are many places in his work where he clarifies that he is referring to social revolution, not political revolution. The following sections will illustrate what Marx says on this subject by examining several of his works and by using textual evidence to determine his true opinion and philosophy on this issue. Several of Marx’s texts will be examined, ranging from On the Jewish Question to The Civil War in France.