Eleven Theses on Feuerbach Quotes

“The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it.

[These words are also inscribed upon his grave]”
― Karl Marx, Eleven Theses on Feuerbach

“Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it”
― Karl Marx, Eleven Theses on Feuerbach

“Philosophers have hitherto interpreted the world in various way; the point, however, is to change it”
― Karl Marx, Eleven Theses on Feuerbach

“Philosophers have hitherto interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it”
― Karl Marx, Eleven Theses on Feuerbach

“The main defect of all hitherto-existing materialism — that of Feuerbach included — is that the Object [der Gegenstand], actuality, sensuousness, are conceived only in the form of the object [Objekts], or of contemplation [Anschauung], but not as human sensuous activity, practice [Praxis], not subjectively. Hence it happened that the active side, in opposition to materialism, was developed by idealism — but only abstractly, since, of course, idealism does not know real, sensuous activity as such. Feuerbach wants sensuous objects [Objekte], differentiated from thought-objects, but he does not conceive human activity itself as objective [gegenständliche] activity.”
― Karl Marx, Eleven Theses on Feuerbach

“The materialist doctrine that men are products of circumstances and upbringing, and that, therefore, changed men are products of changed circumstances and changed upbringing, forgets that it is men who change circumstances and that the educator must himself be educated. Hence this doctrine is bound to divide society into two parts, one of which is superior to society. The coincidence of the changing of circumstances and of human activity or self-change [Selbstveränderung] can be conceived and rationally understood only as revolutionary practice.”
― Karl Marx, Eleven Theses on Feuerbach

“The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point is to change it”
― Karl Marx, Eleven Theses on Feuerbach

“The highest point reached by contemplative [anschauende] materialism, that is, materialism which does not comprehend sensuousness as practical activity, is the contemplation of single individuals and of civil society [bürgerlichen Gesellschaft].”
― Karl Marx, Eleven Theses on Feuerbach

“The main defect of all hitherto-existing materialism — that of Feuerbach included — is that the Object [der Gegenstand], actuality, sensuousness, are conceived only in the form of the object [Objekts], or of contemplation [Anschauung], but not as human sensuous activity, practice [Praxis], not subjectively.”
― Karl Marx, Eleven Theses on Feuerbach

“Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.”
― Karl Marx, Eleven Theses on Feuerbach

“Feuerbach resolves the essence of religion into the essence of man [menschliche Wesen = ‘human nature’]. But the essence of man is no abstraction inherent in each single individual. In reality, it is the ensemble of the social relations. Feuerbach, who does not enter upon a criticism of this real essence is hence obliged:

1. To abstract from the historical process and to define the religious sentiment regarded by itself, and to presuppose an abstract — isolated - human individual.

2. The essence therefore can by him only be regarded as ‘species’, as an inner ‘dumb’ generality which unites many individuals only in a natural way.”
― Karl Marx, Eleven Theses on Feuerbach

“The standpoint of the old materialism is civil society; the standpoint of the new is human society or social humanity.”
― Karl Marx, Eleven Theses on Feuerbach

“All social life is essentially practical. All mysteries which lead theory to mysticism find their rational solution in human practice and in the comprehension of this practice.”
― Karl Marx, Eleven Theses on Feuerbach