Hegel's rather esoteric philosophical system has directly influenced millions upon millions of lives, believe it or not. The reason is named Karl Marx (1818-1883).

Marx's ideas developed through three distinct stages. In the German chapter of his life, he read and agreed with Hegel, adopting his "dialectical idealism." Marx was also influenced by Ludwig Feuerbach's argument that any projection of spirit is a result of our wishful thinking and dissatisfaction with life. (Sigmund Freud borrowed from Feuerbach as well his belief that "God" is a projection of our need for a father figure.)

And so Marx concluded (against Hegel) that the world is material only--all "spiritual" ideas are wish-fulfillment. But this material world operates according to the dialectical process. Marx published the Rhineland Journal, challenging some of Hegel's assertions, and soon found himself exiled from Germany.

Now in France, he studied with Saint-Simon the ideas of economic socialism. Here he published the Communist Manifesto with Engels. For it he was exiled again.

Finally he came to England, where he read Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations (the basis for capitalism). In reaction he published Capital, his most significant economic work.

Marx's worldview stands on two primary assertions. First, ultimate reality is material in nature, moving through various stages of dialectical history and finally to a Communist stage. The Asiatic and Primitive classes clashed, resulting in the Feudal; the Feudal and its antithesis led to Capitalism; the Capitalists and those they oppress (according to Marx) will clash, leading finally to the class-less world of Communism. Lenin's 1917 Bolshevik Revolution is the direct outworking of this philosophy.

Second, mankind is alienated from work and ourselves. We have a deep sense of dissatisfaction, leading to social revolutions. The solution to this alienation is to abolish capitalism, by armed revolution if necessary.

The major question asked for years of Marx's worldview is simple: why hasn't the inevitable revolution to Communism already occurred? With events of recent years we can now say that the class-less society did not result from Communism, and that revolutions are moving toward democracy and capitalism, not away from them.

Nonetheless, Marx's applications of Hegel's philosophy show the pervasive influence and significance of ideas. Millions have been enslaved to his.