Karl Marx

I think pretty much everyone ever has heard of Karl Marx. I feel as if I’ve heard his name several thousand times over the course of my life in school, but maybe it’s just me. He’s the father of Marxism (obviously) which is basically socialism. His ideas have been some of the most influential in history, what with ultimately creating the Soviet Union, which subsequently lead into the emergence of other socialist/communist countries. When asked if he had anything to say before he died, Marx replied, “Last words are for people who haven’t said enough.”

I think Marx’s last words are great simply because they’re incredibly quotable. It’s one of those sayings that you can’t help but agree with, and hope that on your own deathbed you can think of something similar that is unplanned yet profound. Of course, Marx was most likely talking about people who actually plan out what they’re last words are going to be, or those who say whatever meaningful bit of perceived ingenuity comes to mind at the time. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing to plan out dying words, because the living generally put a fair amount of significance on people’s last words. After all, I dedicated this blog to writing about them. And I’m pretty sure a lot of last words were preconceived. I think it’s a good call to action on Marx’s part. It’s kind of of a putdown to those who have come up with last words to say. But who’s to judge? In my book, it’s never too late to say what you need to say.

One thought on “Karl Marx

  1. Elysia Burke

    Karl Marx’s last are kind of ironic. He uses his last words to comment on the behavior of other people who use last words to make a point, yet he himself is using his last words to make a statement. It would be interesting to know whether he had these words pre-planned, or whether they were a spur of the moment thought.

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