books written by karl marx

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• Books By Karl Marx

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Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei

• Das Kapital. Kritik der politischen Ökonomie. Buch I: Der Produktionsprozeß des Kapitals

The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Non-believer

The Marx-Engels Reader

The Communist Manifesto and Other Revolutionary Writings: Marx, Marat, Paine, Mao Tse-Tung, Gandhi, and Others

• Cuadernos de Pasado y Presente
• Sigmund Freud
• Friedrich Engels
• Gareth Stedman Jones
• Alexis de Tocqueville
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• John Stuart Mill
• Ernesto Che Guevara
• Thomas Hobbes
• Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
• Arthur Schopenhauer
• Émile Durkheim
• Vladimir Lenin
• Francis Bacon
• Leon Trotsky
• Samuel Moore

Books by Karl Marx

$ 3.79 - $ 49.88

Das Kapital. Kritik der politischen Ökonomie. Buch I: Der Produktionsprozeß des Kapitals

$ 9.09 - $ 50.95

$ 5.99 - $ 18.00

$ 8.79 - $ 53.80

$ 9.19 - $ 10.99

Capital : A Critique of Political Economy

$ 9.19 - $ 53.52

The Communist Manifesto and Other Writings

Karl Marx: Selected Writings

$ 7.59 - $ 144.63

Paths to God: Living the Bhagavad Gita

$ 7.79 - $ 14.99

Capital: Volumes One and Two

Ökonomisch-philosophische Manuskripte

$ 4.79 - $ 21.25

The Communist Manifesto with Selections from the Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte and Capital

$ 6.69 - $ 18.66

Die deutsche Ideologie

$ 5.69 - $ 24.28

The Portable Karl Marx

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The World Treasury of Modern Religious Thought

$ 4.19 - $ 5.89

Wage-Labour and Capital & Value, Price and Profit

$ 10.97 - $ 41.92

Der 18te Brumaire des Louis Napoleon

$ 7.29 - $ 35.95

Das Kapital. Kritik der politischen Ökonomie. Buch III: Der Gesamtprozeß der kapitalistischen Produktion

$ 17.39 - $ 49.39

Das Kapital: Kritik der politischen Ökonomie. Der Zirkulationsprozeß des Kapitals - Band II

$ 13.79 - $ 45.99

Grundrisse: Foundations of the Critique of Political Economy (Penguin Classics)

$ 5.09 - $ 29.99

Media and Cultural Studies: Keyworks (Keyworks in Cultural Studies)

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Die Frühschriften

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Essential Thinkers - Karl Marx (Barnes & Noble Collector's Library)

$ 6.79 - $ 7.99

Misère de la philosophie. Réponse à la "Philosophie de la misère" de M. Proudhon

$ 8.35 - $ 42.95

The Good Life (Hackett Publishing Co.)

$ 6.59 - $ 25.19

Der Burgerkrieg in Frankreich

$ 8.89 - $ 57.59

Kritik des Gothaer Programms

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The Theoretical Evolution of International Political Economy: A Reader

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Manifesto: Three Classic Essays on How to Change the World

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Selected Writings in Sociology and Social Philosophy

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Karl Marx: ten things to read if you want to understand him

Lecturer in Political Science, University of Exeter

Lecturer in Politics, Manchester Metropolitan University

Disclosure statement

James Muldoon is a member of the British Labour Party.

Robert P. Jackson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Manchester Metropolitan University and University of Exeter provide funding as members of The Conversation UK.

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As the world reflects on 200 years since the birth of Karl Marx, his writings are being sampled by more and more people. If you’re new to the work of one of the greatest social scientists of all time, here’s where to start.

Marx’s own writing

James Muldoon, University of Exeter

The long history of brutal, totalitarian “Marxist” regimes around the world has left many people with the impression that Marx was an authoritarian thinker. But readers who dive into his work for the first time are often surprised to discover an Enlightenment humanist and a philosopher of emancipation, one who envisaged well-rounded human beings living rich, varied and fulfilling lives in a post-capitalist society. Marx’s writings don’t just propose a revolutionary political project; they offer a moral critique of the alienation of individuals living in capitalist societies.

1. An Introduction to a Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right ( Available here )

Originally published in 1844 in a radical Parisian newspaper, this fascinating short essay captures many of Marx’s early criticisms of modern society and his radical vision of emancipation. It also introduces several of the key themes that would shape his later writings.

Marx claims that the bourgeois revolutions of the 18th century may have benefited a wealthy and educated class, but did not challenge private forms of domination in the factory, home and field. Marx theorises the revolutionary subject of the working class, and proposes its historic task: to abolish private property and achieve self-emancipation.

2. Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 ( Available here )

Not published within his lifetime, and only released in 1932 by officials in the Soviet Union, these notes written by Marx are an important source for his theory of capitalist alienation. They reveal the essential outline of what “Marxism” is, and provide the philosophical basis for humanist readings of Marx.

In these manuscripts, Marx analyses the harmful effects of the organisation of labour in modern industrial societies. Modern workers, he argues, have become estranged from the goods they produced, from their own labour activity, and from their fellow workers. Rather than achieving a sense of satisfaction and self-actualisation in their labour, workers are left exhausted and spiritually depleted. For Marx, the antidote to modern alienation is a humanist conception of communism based on free and cooperative production.

3. The Communist Manifesto ( Available here )

Opening with the famous line, “a spectre is haunting Europe – the spectre of communism”, the Communist Manifesto has become one of the most influential political documents ever written. Co-authored with Friedrich Engels, this pamphlet was commissioned by London’s Communist League and published on the cusp of the various revolutions that rocked Europe in 1848.

The manifesto presents Marx’s materialist conception of history and his theory of class struggle. It outlines the growing tensions between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat under capitalist relations of production, and predicts the triumph of the workers.

4. The German Ideology ( Available here )

For anyone seeking to understand Marxism’s deeper philosophical and historical underpinnings, this is one of his most important texts. Written in around 1846, again with Engels, The German Ideology provides the full development of the two men’s methodology, historical materialism , which seeks to understand the history of humankind based on the development of its modes of production.

Marx and Engels argue that individuals’ social consciousness depends on the material conditions in which they live. He traces the development of different historical modes of production and argues that the present capitalist one will be replaced by communism. Some interpreters view this text as the point where Marx’s thought began to emerge in its mature form.

5. Capital (Volume 1) ( Available here )

Published in 1867, Capital is Marx’s critical diagnosis of the capitalist mode of production. In it, he details the ultimate source of wealth under capitalism: the exploited labour of workers. Workers are free to sell their labour to any capitalist, but since they must sell their labour in order to survive, they are dominated by the class of capitalists as a whole. And through their labour, workers reproduce and reinforce both the economic conditions of their existence and also the social and ideological structure of their society.

In Capital, Marx outlines a number of capitalism’s internal contradictions, such as a declining rate of profit and the tendency for the formation of capitalist monopolies. While certain aspects of the text have been questioned , Marx’s analysis informs economic debate to this day. For anyone trying to understand why capitalism keeps falling into crisis, it’s still hugely relevant.

On Marx and Marxism

Robert Jackson, Manchester Metropolitan University

1. A Companion to Marx’s Capital – David Harvey

From social movements to student reading groups, from Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century to articles in the Financial Times , Marx’s economic writings are at the centre of debate once again. And one of the figures most associated with these discussions is the geographer David Harvey.

Based on his popular online lecture series, Reading Capital with David Harvey , this book makes Marx’s Capital accessible to a broader audience. Guiding readers through Marx’s challenging (but rewarding) study of the “laws of motion” of capitalism, Harvey provides an open and critical reading. He draws out the connections between this world-changing text and today’s society – a society which, after all, is still shaped by the economic crisis of 2008.

2. Karl Marx: A Nineteenth-Century Life – Jonathan Sperber

For Jonathan Sperber , a historian of modern Germany, Marx is “more a figure from the past than a prophet of the present”. And, as its title suggests, this biography places Marx’s life in the context of the 19th century. It’s an accessible introduction to the history of his political thought, particularly as a critic of his contemporaries. Sperber discusses Marx in his many roles – a son, a student, a journalist and political activist – and introduces the multitude of characters connected with him. While Francis Wheen’s well-known Karl Marx: A Life is a more freewheeling account, Sperber’s writing is both highly readable and more deeply rooted in historical scholarship.

3. From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation – Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

Writing about the US just over 150 years ago, Marx noted that: “Labour in a white skin cannot emancipate itself where it is branded in a black skin.” And the influence of his ideas about the relationship between race and class is visible in debates right up to the present day.

Penned by academic and activist Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor , who came to popular prominence in the recent #BlackLivesMatter movement, this is a timely read for those interested in the various ways Marx’s thought is being rebooted for the 21st century. A penetrating book, it connects the origins of racism to the structures of economic inequality. With plenty of Marxist ideas (among others) in her toolbox, Taylor critically examines the notion of a “colour-blind” society and the US’s post-Obama order to great effect.

4. Why Marx was Right – Terry Eagleton

A call to reconsider the widely accepted notion that Marx is a “dead dog” from renowned literary theorist Terry Eagleton . In this provocative and highly readable book, Eagleton questions the plausibility of ten of the most common objections to Marx’s thought – among them, that Marx’s ideas are outdated in post-industrial societies, that Marxism always leads to tyranny in practice, that Marx’s theory is deterministic and undermines human freedom. Always witty and passionate, Eagleton peppers his spirited defence (with some reservations) of Marx’s ideas with his own literary and cultural insights.

5. Jacobin magazine – edited by Bhaskar Sunkara (available online )

In the era of the Occupy movement , “ taking a knee ” and #MeToo , the discussion of Marx’s ideas has gained an increasing presence on the internet. One of the most notable examples is the socialist magazine and online platform Jacobin, edited by Bhaskar Sunkara , which currently reaches around 1m viewers a month .

Covering topics from international politics and environmental movements to the recent education strikes in Oklahoma and West Virginia and Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign, it’s a lively source for anyone who wants to see an analysis of contemporary politics that’s influenced by Marx’s thought.

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Karl Marx   The Best 6 Books to Read

K arl Marx (1818 - 1883) was a German philosopher and economist whose influence on the politics and ideas of the centuries following him was (and remains) profound. Marx’s original writings and analyses led to the political philosophy of Marxism, which in the years since Marx’s death has developed into a number of different strands and interpretations.

Marx is perhaps best known for his sustained critique of capitalism and the concept of private property.

This critique was based around the idea that, because the ruling classes (bourgeoisie) control the means of production, and the working classes (proletariat) must sell their time to service these means, class conflict is inevitable.

As an alternative, Marx advocated for the common ownership of the means of production to establish a classless, communist society.

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This reading list consists of the best books on and by Karl Marx, as well as the Marxist political philosophy that followed. After reading the books on this list, you’ll understand exactly who Marx was, what Marxism is, and why both remain so influential today.

1. Marx: A Very Short Introduction, by Peter Singer

Marx: A Very Short Introduction

BY PETER SINGER

Famed contemporary philosopher Peter Singer’s Marx: A Very Short Introduction is a fantastic place to start for anyone with a budding interest in Karl Marx or Marxism generally.

Considering the sheer breadth and depth of Marx’s thinking, Singer does an admirable job in providing an illuminating overview of his life and most important ideas – including those on alienation, historical materialism, and his economic theory.

Singer also provides helpful background to contextualize Marx’s work, and makes clear why his influence continues to be so enduring. Coming in at an accessible 152 pages, this is a very nice entry point to Marx.

2. Why Marx Was Right, by Terry Eagleton

Why Marx Was Right

BY TERRY EAGLETON

In his accessible 2011 Why Marx Was Right , popular literary theorist Terry Eagleton takes common criticisms of Marxism and shows why they are often based on misconceptions of what Marxism actually is, and aims to demonstrate how Marxist critiques of capitalism are as alive and relevant today as ever before.

This book thus doubles as an introductory clarification on exactly what Marxism entails, as well as a deeper discussion of its most common critiques.

Eagleton writes engagingly with wit and intelligence, making this a great addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in learning more about Marx and Marxism.

3. Karl Marx: Greatness and Illusion, by Gareth Stedman Jones

Karl Marx: Greatness and Illusion

BY GARETH STEDMAN JONES

If you’re seeking to dive a little deeper with your Marx scholarship, consider Gareth Stedman Jones’s Karl Marx: Greatness and Illusion , first published in 2016.

In this philosophical biography, Stedman Jones brings to life the tumultuous times that shaped Marx as a thinker, providing a thorough, dispassionate, very well-researched analysis of his life and work.

Karl Marx: Greatness and Illusion gives the reader full understanding of how Marx used the influence of thinkers like Immanuel Kant , Hegel, and Feuerbach to fashion a political philosophy that left an unprecedented impact on the twentieth century.

With its 768 pages packed full of insight, this book is a brilliant accompaniment for those seeking a deeper understanding of Marx’s life and work.

(Special mention must also be made to Jonathon Sperber’s 2013 Marx biography, Karl Marx: A Nineteenth-Century Life , which also does a fantastic job in contextualizing and humanizing the life Marx led, though perhaps doesn’t go as deep in its analysis of Marx’s philosophical ideas).

4. Main Currents of Marxism, by Leszek Kolakowski

Main Currents of Marxism

BY LESZEK KOLAKOWSKI

If you’re looking to understand not just Marx but all the subsequent strands of Marxist thought, look no further than renowned philosopher Leszek Kolakowski’s epic 1976 Main Currents of Marxism , consisting of three volumes that investigate the entire history of Marx and Marxism (‘The Founders’, ‘The Golden Age’, and ‘The Breakdown’).

This brilliant book is rightly recognized as one of the most important scholarly works on Marxism ever written, analyzing its origins, structure, and posthumous development with nuance and precision. At 1,312 pages, this wonderfully-researched history of Marxism is a beast — but you won’t need another.

5. The Communist Manifesto, by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

The Communist Manifesto

BY KARL MARX AND FRIEDRICH ENGELS

Turning from introductions to primary texts, where better to start than with the book that cemented Marx’s name into human history?

Published on the eve of the 1848 European revolutions, Marx and Engels’ short yet forceful The Communist Manifesto closes with the following infamous lines:

Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win.

This powerful work distills Marx and Engels’ economic principles, and whether you agree or disagree with their arguments, their passionate writing makes for an engaging, accessible read — and is essential for students of Marx and Marxism.

6. Das Kapital, by Karl Marx

Das Kapital

BY KARL MARX

The more thorough, complex, and detailed blueprint for Marxist thinking, Das Kapital is Marx’s 1867 magnum opus.

Marx builds out a sustained critique of capitalism and private property, and asserts his vision for a system of common ownership of the means of production — a communist society built around the maxim, “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.”

One of the most important works of political philosophy in history, Das Kapital consists of multiple volumes. This particular edition covers the first volume, and belongs on the bookshelf of any aspiring Marx scholar.

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Books by Marx, Karl (sorted by popularity)

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• The Communist Manifesto Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels 336 downloads
• Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei (German) Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels 295 downloads
• Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei (German) Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels 262 downloads

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Karl Marx was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, and socialist revolutionary. He is best known for his works 'The Communist Manifesto' and 'Das Kapital', which laid the foundation for modern socialism and communism.

This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

1. Communist Manifesto

This influential political pamphlet advocates for the abolition of private property, the rights of the proletariat, and the eventual establishment of a classless society. The authors argue that all of history is a record of class struggle, culminating in the conflict between the bourgeoisie, who control the means of production, and the proletariat, who provide the labor. They predict that this struggle will result in a revolution, leading to a society where property and wealth are communally controlled.

2. Das Kapital

This influential work is a comprehensive critique of political economy, exploring the complex nature of capitalism, its production processes, and its societal impact. The book delves into the intricacies of commodities, labor theory of value, surplus value, and exploitation, arguing that capitalism is inherently unstable and prone to periodic crises. It also posits that the capitalist system ultimately leads to the concentration of wealth in fewer hands, causing social inequality and paving the way for its own demise. The book is widely regarded as a foundational text in the development of socialist and communist ideologies.

3. The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte

This historical work provides a detailed analysis of the coup d'etat that brought Louis Bonaparte to power in France in 1851. The author examines the social and political dynamics that allowed Bonaparte to seize control, including the role of the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. He presents a critique of the event itself and its implications for the class struggle, suggesting that history repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce.

4. Grundrisse: Foundations of the Critique of Political Economy

This book is a thorough critique of capitalism as an economic system, providing a comprehensive analysis of its structure and consequences. The author delves into the nature of commodities, labor, money, and capital, and explores the complex relationships between these elements. The book also offers a critical examination of the capitalist mode of production, the division of labor, and the exploitation of the working class, arguing that these aspects of capitalism lead to social inequality and economic instability. The author advocates for a socialist system as a more equitable and sustainable alternative to capitalism.

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