The German Ideology

Summary

«The German Ideology» is a work by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in which they critique the philosophy of German idealists such as Hegel and his followers. In the book, the authors develop a materialist understanding of history, asserting that the material conditions of life and economic relations determine social consciousness and culture. They introduce the concept of historical materialism, explaining how productive forces and relations influence the development of society. Marx and Engels also discuss the role of ideology in maintaining existing social structures and criticize utopian socialism, proposing instead a scientific approach to understanding and changing society.