Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844

This is a page of Karl Marx's manuscript, noting his qualms with the current political economic climate of the western world. He felt the makeup of the economy widened class divides. At the time of writing this document, Marx was in France, which was experiencing an economic boom and local business growth. 

The original manuscript was utilitarian in style. It wasn't meant to be pretty, rather it was meant to share information and ideas. The handwriting isn't ornate, but seemingly scribbled with haste, containing many revisions.

The text was written specifically for the working class, calling upon them to open their eyes to what Marx viewed as a harmful reality. In 19th century France, however, literacy rates among the working class were as low as 10% at the beginning of the century and gradually increased approaching the end. It is important to note this increase in intellectual availability to the masses.