Sure, the Manifesto is a pretty short easy read. But being more politically educated is always good

Even if you don't agree with an ideology it's always best to read it's basis so you can accurately identify what you don't agree with.

Absolutely. It's short.

Do note that most of how communism worked, on paper and in practice, originated later, though. Marx, a German who mostly lived in England, wrote the Manifesto in 1848 and died in 1883, while the revolution was in Russia in 1917. And there's stuff in the manifesto that obviously didn't age well, like the bit about the invention of trains leading to the end of nationalism.

Still, it's great historical perspective, and obviously inspired how the Soviet Union looked at things pretty heavily.

Yep, that would be great! I think a good place to start would be this reading list I put together. You can just check out the first couple sections:

1. Introduction [~1.5 hr]

Before beginning your studies, it's important to learn how to best economize our time, and why we should study Marxism-Leninism in the first place.

1. General Rules for Independent Study - N. Krupskaya (1934)

Webpage [~5 min]

Written by one of the founding Bolsheviks for students in the early USSR, this is a concise guide on how to best absorb the information to come as efficiently as possible by Nadezhda Krupskaya.

2. Why Socialism? - A. Einstein (1949)

Webpage | Audiobook [~10 min / 22 min]

Wanting to persuade his contemporaries to pursue a path of intentional development in order to avoid nuclear war and escape the profit motive, Einstein argues the case for moving onto a planned and collectivized economy over the chaos of markets and the profit motive.

3. Why Marxism? - R. Day (2020)

Webpage | Audiobook [~15 min / 21 min]

Roderic Day makes his case for why now, in the 21st century, Marxism-Leninism remains the strongest tool for working-class liberation, and why we should defend the achievements of actually existing socialism despite their real flaws.

4. "Tankies" - N. Frome (2020)

Webpage | Audiobook [~5 min / 11 min]

Marxist-Leninists do not believe Stalin, Mao, etc. did no wrong, nor do we believe actually existing socialist states (AES) to be perfect and free from criticism. Proper appraisal of the genuine achievements and genuine shortcomings of socialism in real life requires brushing away capitalist mythologizing. Once the fact is separated from fiction, only then can we hope to build on the successes of our predecessors while avoiding repeating mistakes.

5. US Interventionism, the Third World, and the USSR - M. Parenti (1986)

Webpage Transcription of Speech | Original Speech [~1 hr / 1 hr 33 min]

Dr. Michael Parenti delivers perhaps his most famous speech, discussing the predatory role of the US Empire and the progressive role played by socialist countries, including the necessary mechanisms of protection they develop against western imperialism.

6. Why do we Have to Study Theory? - Ho Chi Minh (1957)

Webpage [~10 min]

As a hugely successful revolutionary, Ho Chi Minh explains why it is not enough to have good intentions, we must do our best to study revolutionary theory to guide revolutionary practice.

Checkpoint

• Why do you want to study Marxism-Leninism?

• How can it be helpful in your present life?

• Why should we establish a socialist society?

2. Fundamentals [~2.5 hr]

To start off your studies, a clear understanding of basic terminology, as well as the historical context that gave rise to Marxism, is necessary.

1. Principles of Communism - F. Engels (1847)

Webpage/.epub | Audiobook [~30 min /48 min]

A glossary of terms and background information, in an FAQ format.

2. Karl Marx: A Brief Biographical Sketch with an Exposition of Marxism - V.I. Lenin (1914)

Webpage | Audiobook [~1 hr / 1hr 28 min]

Lenin, as a part of his rigorous studies of Marx and his writings for application in the conditions particular to his contemporary conditions, came to know and understand Marx and his ideology at a deeper level.

3. The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism - V.I. Lenin (1913)

Webpage | Audiobook [~5 min / 18 min]

Outlaying the 3 major components of Marxism, and a short history of how they came to be.

4. Manifesto of the Communist Party - K. Marx & F. Engels (1848)

Webpage | Audiobook [~1hr / 1 hr 35 min]

Marx & Engels call the international proletariat to action using the in this overview of the aims of the communists.

Checkpoint

• What historical context gave rise to Marxism?

• What are the 3 major components of Marxism?

• In your country, what does the class makeup of society look like? Which can be aligned with the proletariat? Which cannot?

Of course, I recommend the whole thing. Alternatively, Prolewiki's Marxism portal contains a fantastic short list of articles that help explain the absolute basics quickly.

I feel it's like reading many philosophical works.

You'll read some bits and go "Wow that's a profound observation!"

And then turn the page and be like "Lol that's a biiiiig stretch, my dude. You couldn't have been serious."

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it”

— Aristotle

Whatever you think of Marx, it's undeniable he has literary value. I'd say read him.

sure. you're not going to be infected with some sort of horrible mind virus. if you're interested, read it

Read principles of communism instead, it is the same content but better formatted

Oh, and watch Luna Oi's Marxism 101: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeaTLoy1C9rM

Yes, you should. Reading something doesn't mean having to automatically agree with it, but it will broaden your perspective. Read it critically, engage with the arguments being made, and use them to test your own world view. See if the arguments make sense to you, and whether you have strong counter arguments of your own to the ones being made.

Absolutely.

Fundamentally, only reading about ideas that you already agree with is bad for you. You will learn less about your beliefs than if you had read something that challenges your beliefs.

Let's say you're very pro-capitalist, and you want to know everything about capitalism, so you read Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations. Great! You learned some things about the historical basis of your beliefs, and there's value in that. So then you read Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman. Okay! So you're tripling down on the same ideas. You probably already know most of those ideas, though, right? There will be some new stuff, but ultimately it's more of the same stuff you already know.

So you try some more recent authors, and give a shrug to Ayn Rand, and you give Lions and Scavengers a shot. And maybe you pick up a new thing or two. But mostly, it's the same ideas that you're already familiar with.

Do you know what none of these books have? An angle of critique (except Smith, sort of). They're all just listing all of the good things about capitalism, and they're not telling you the bad things. Do you believe that Capitalism is a perfect system to organize a nation's economic policy, with no flaws? No? Then you should be interested in someone who elaborates on some of the negative aspects of capitalism, and what can be done to address those flaws, right? Because if there are flaws, you want to know what they are, so they can be fixed, right?

That's why you should read Das Kapital.

I feel like you should read anything that people find so polarizing and taboo. It's short and its pretty dang hard to disagree with.

If anyone is looking for it, here's one of many links to that manifesto: https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/index.htm

Of other possible interest, here's one of many links to Albert Einstein's Why Socialism? from 1949: https://en.prolewiki.org/wiki/Library:Why_Socialism%3F

Learning is always worth it

Yes, an education is worthwhile. Read many philosophies inluding Marx, Hegel, Kant, Locke, John Stuart Mill, Adam Smith, Kropotkin, Stirner, Rudolf Rocker, Graeber etc. Though not my career, I keep studying for fun.

As with The Bible, there is a clergy surrounding philosophical figures. You may join their congregation. I choose not to partake. Read The Bible to understand society, but you don't need to join the congregation.

Yes. If I may, I would suggest "The origins of family and private property" from Engels. It's not explicitly political, but I find it serves excellently for dissolving some biases towards historical conditions and how they shape the current affairs.

I’d say that Das Kapital is more useful. The manifesto was a specific call to arms for a specific time. It’s worth understanding as a historical note, but, it’s not really a theoretical work.

Das Kapital, is a work about a theory of political economy and layed out the actual basis of Marxist theory.

Everything else is sort of down stream of that. At least in regards to understanding what specific objections or concerns people in Marxist thought have.

The manifesto is just an ad for communism. You should read The Capital (part 1) if you want to interact with communism seriously.

It is meant to be an accessible reading, meant for working class people. Go for it. I personally recommend Rosa Luxemburg's writings.

Assigned reading in macroeconomics when I took it in college. Not a particularly left leaning course, nor cohort.

Sure the Manifesto is short and easily understood so why not?

The manifesto isn't even particularly long or difficult to read. Das Capital by Marx is really where his economic theories are actually presented. It is an extremely difficult read.

Someone suggested critique of the gotha program and someone else said capital (four volumes!).

Those are good alternatives to the communist manifesto which is basically a handbill for convincing people to go learn more.

Of course they’re both super old and many people have written about their contents since their publication.

Being interested in politics is maybe not the best reason to be reading about communism.

It's always good to read more! Just like, in general. You should read the communist manifesto and then go on to read other things too, anything you fancy

The holy scripture should only be read in the original German /s

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critique_of_the_Gotha_Programme also worth reading. note that because these are 19th C documents written in that particular context, it's also helpful to read about the docs in addition to their text

Economical books of Lenin may also be of interest, Henri Ford studied them while he never was a communist. It is a bit harder to read than the manifesto of Marx and Engels, but it doesn't require to be an economist.

All of Marx' writings are worth a read even if you're a dumbass capitalist.

They derived their political ideology from their economic analysis, so it’s probably a good idea to read the context of world operating under the classical economic theories of those times.

It's good, it's def on the list. You'll be surprised by how moderate-seeming of Reforms it actually calls for, while being a revolutionary program.

Also read "Socialism: Utopian and Scientific, Wage Labor and Capital, and Critique of the Gotha Program. State and Revolution by Lenin and Reform or Revolution by Luxemburg are other great foundational works.

This is a good theory foundation to begin reading socialist history books: Wretched of the Earth, Black Reconstruction in America, Hammer and Hoe, Black Jacobins, History of the German Revolution, History of the Russian Revolution, etc.,

Also big recommendation for Ten Days that Shook the World by Jack Reed, it's legit one of the most exciting books you'll ever come across. It's better than any action fiction book, and it's just straight journalism of the actual October Russian revolution.

If you like podcasts, Mike Duncan's Revolutions podcast is pretty good, his last season on the Russian revolution is a good primer for the years prior to the 1917 revolutions, and the first fiveish episodes are pretty good historical and theoretical primers on various revolutionary movements and theorists. Season 10 episodes 2 and 3 are about Marx and Engels specifically, and I know lots of people who had their eyes opened to M&E by these episodes. I think Duncan ends the series on a sour note wrt Lenin that lacks real complexity and depth, but those early episodes are pretty good as an entry-point to Marx&Engels and socialist theory.

Back when I was still on reddit (and r/askreddit wasn't a cesspool of AI ragebait) someone asked if there were books people recommended, everyone should read, and I came up with this list of 6 if you want a good basis for reasoned philosophical thought:

• Plato's Republic

• Sun Tzu's The Art of War

• Marcus Aurelius's Meditations

• Machiavelli's The Prince (Machiavelli also wrote an "Art of War" and that's also worth reading)

• Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations

• Karl Marx's The Communist Manifesto

The Republic defines what society's goals should look like

The Art of War defines how to resolve conflict

Meditations teaches one how to remain objective under pressure

The Prince defines that what is OBJECTIVELY TRUE is not always what is MORALLY CORRECT

The Wealth of Nations lays out a case against Feudalism and how a functional economy should operate.

The Communist Manifesto details the natural rights of everyone to equality and shared prosperity.

Marxist Communism is a bit myopic as it really deals with factory work, and the failures of a Capitalist system to deliver on the promise of class mobility. He and Engels envisioned a classless society, and while that is a fine ideal, historically, achieving that though strictly amicable means is a bit pie in the sky, not to mention the arguments against it citing human ambition as a stumbling block aren't without merit.

Practical effects are more informative than theoretical readings. Study the countries that implemented it and how things ran. That gives the most practical and unbiased reality.