The German Ideology Literary Elements

Political economy and philosophy

For the most part, mid-19th century German intellectual debates

Marx and Engels are listed as co-authors, but scholars generally agree that the text, at least the first portion, was mostly if not entirely written by Marx

Mix of empirical/historical, abstract philosophical, sarcastic/ironic polemic, and political manifesto

The major conflict Marx's account of human history leads up to is the clash between the proletariat and the bourgeosie

Marx and Engels's call for proletarian revolution to overthrow the state

Frequent references to contemporary and historical thinkers and events

Marx is known for having a distinctive, almost literary style, and frequently invokes images both when mocking his opponents and illustrating his own point

Marx and Engels argue that, despite the fact that their theory can appear to depict people as passive objects of their circumstances, it ultimately provides the basis for comprehending the possibility of true freedom

Marx often describes capital as possessing a will and desires of its own, "dominating" people