The speaker discusses Karl Marx's ideology and its flaws. They argue that Marx's concept of social class is actually based on castes, not classes, and that his theory of class struggle is flawed because it is not quantifiable. The speaker also criticizes Marx's personal life, saying that he lived off others, was unable to write coherently, and was helped by his friend Friedrich Engels. They also mention that Marx's letters to others were often insulting and that he was a master of invective. The speaker concludes that Marx's ideology is flawed and that he was not a self-sufficient person.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. 60-70 countries have tried to implement Marxism.
2. Marxism has been attempted for 80 years in some countries.
3. Karl Marx's concept of social class is based on the idea that the origin of social class is the form of income.
4. Marx wrote about social classes in 15 lines, which were later published as Chapter 52, Volume 3 of "Capital".
5. Friedrich Engels, Marx's secretary, helped to write and organize Marx's work.
6. Marx and Engels exchanged thousands of letters, but only a few have been preserved.
7. Marx was known for his bad temper and often wrote insulting letters to his friends and acquaintances.
8. Marx lived off the financial support of his friends and family, including his wife's dowry.
9. Marx's wife, Jenny, came from a wealthy family and helped to support Marx financially.
10. Marx's friend, Engels, left him a significant amount of money in his will, which was around £10,000 at the time.
11. Marx was unable to write continuously and would often stop mid-sentence to make jokes or insults.
12. Engels helped to put Marx's writing in order and composed Volume 2 of "Capital".
13. Marx and Engels had a complicated relationship, with Marx often expressing hatred towards Russia and the Slavic people.
14. Marx later changed his opinion on Russia and began to see it as a potential example of proto-communism.
15. Marx had a boil that broke out and caused him significant pain, which he wrote about to Engels.
16. Marx's son, Edgar, died at the age of 8.
17. Marx was a heavy smoker and drinker, and often wrote while under the influence.
18. Marx was a polyglot and could speak multiple languages, but he preferred not to work and instead relied on the financial support of others.