The Communist Manifesto

A spectre is haunting Europe-the spectre of communism. So begins the Communist Manifesto, the first mature statement of Marx and Engels' revolutionary ideas, published in 1848 on the eve of that years' revolutionary wave. This remains the best introduction to Marxist ideas, from its statement that "The history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggle," to the famous dictum, "Workingmen have no country."

On the 150 anniversary of the Manifesto five years ago, many commentators still marveled at how Marx's analysis of capitalism remained so fresh. What they left out was the Manifesto was written with an eye toward changing society, not simply interpreting it. Workers still have "a world to win," and the Manifesto is an important tool in that process.