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Birth
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The Holy Family
Engels first work with his lifelong partner Karl Marx was a critique of a prevalent school of thought in academic circles at the time, primarily at the University of Berlin, that of the Young Hegelians, ardent followers of the works of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. The work made quite a shake up in the popular media at the time, and according to marxist.org: "Lenin would later claim this work laid the foundations for what would develop into a scientific revolutionary materialist socialism". -
The Condition of the Working Class in England
Written while Engels was living in Manchester England, while in the midst of the industrial revolution, The Condition of the Working Class in England is comprised of Engels observations and critiques of the material differences of the varying classes in England. Calling into focus, primarily, the stark contrast between health, childhood development, mental well being, safety, and material conditions between the working and ruling classes in England. A foundational text in socialist thought. -
The Communist Manifesto
Probably the most famous Communist Text alongside Das Kapital, this joint work by Engels and Marx is undeniably an immensely influential text regardless of personal opinion regarding it's contents. In this short work, Engels and Marx outline the views and objectives of communism. Beginning with the proclamation:
"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles."
The remainder of the work outlines why this is, and what should be done about it. -
Socialism: Utopian and Scientific
This work, more of a pamphlet than a book, served to spread wider the life work of Engels regarding the refining of socialist theory and it's application. Engels also goes quite in depth into the history of Philosophy, from the ancient greeks to Hegel, and criticizes the failings of reasoning of several "utopian" socialist philosophers. -
The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State
Originally a set of incomplete writings from Marx, Engels took it upon himself to complete the work after it was discovered after Marx's death. The writing attempts to explain the origins of the nuclear family unit in society, and it's role in propping up the state. It also addresses in no uncertain terms the oppression faced by women in society, and draws parallels between the oppression of women, and the oppression of the working classes. -
Death