The German Ideology

"The German Ideology" is a work by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, written in 1845-46 but unpublished until later. It critiques the prevailing philosophical ideas of their time, particularly those of German idealism, asserting that material conditions and economic factors shape human consciousness and society. Marx and Engels argue that ideas are rooted in social practices and that history is driven by class struggle. The text emphasizes the importance of understanding the material conditions of life to grasp how societies develop and change, laying the groundwork for Marxist theory and critiques of capitalism.