An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List

38. Communism

March 29, 2021

Description

It was one of the great political ideologies of the 20th century, vying with capitalism for supremacy. Now communism has retreated from the political mainstream having failed to create the utopia...
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Books Referenced

The Communist Manifesto

Author: Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

Context:

Explicitly quoted at the opening of the episode as the famous 1848 work that begins 'A spectre is haunting Europe'

Utopia

Author: Thomas More

Context:

Referenced as an example of proto-communist ideas, described as Thomas More's vision of a society where people share property at the turn of the 16th century

Acts of the Apostles

Author: Anonymous (Biblical)

Context:

Referenced as containing the description of the early church where apostles sold possessions and gave to anyone in need, cited as a prototype of communist society

Das Kapital

Author: Karl Marx

Context:

Referenced when discussing how Marx's language is 'shot through with the idea that there are supernatural entities' like vampires and bloodsuckers