The Communist Manifesto
The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engelsby Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
Shares rank 5 of 7 political philosophy books by recommenders
Recommended as a short, seminal classic worth reading to know what you argue against. Critics call it too simple and more political ad than analysis.
Recommended as a short, seminal classic worth reading to know what you argue against. Critics call it too simple and more political ad than analysis.
6 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 3
- approval share
- 50%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 1 recommender for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, not met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Short, seminal classic worth reading
“The Communist Manifesto is the seminal work. It’s fairly short.”
Comment from 13 Feb 2026 in “Ask HN: Why is everyone in search of peak productivity?” “The Communist Manifesto is an oldie but goodie.”
Comment from 14 Jul 2026 in “Ask HN: What are the best free ePub books to read?” Useful for knowing opposing arguments
“I suggest reading the Communist Manifesto, so you know what to argue against if nothing else.”
Comment from 1 Dec 2025 in “UK Government plans new powers to label dissenting movements as 'subversion'”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Too simple as an argument
“the manifesto is far too simple”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “America, and probably the world, stands on a precipice” Written as political advocacy
“it was written more as a political ad, if you will.”
Comment from 13 Feb 2026 in “Ask HN: Why is everyone in search of peak productivity?” Claims the reader rejects
“also not agree to the claims of the Communist Manifesto”
Comment from 26 Oct 2026 in “Brown student maps the hidden global labor powering AI”
Other political philosophy books people recommend
The four most recommended other political philosophy books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leviathanby Thomas Hobbes | 11 | 0 | 100% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Capitalist Realismby Mark Fisher and MARK FISHER | 7 | 0 | 100% | 6 | — | — |
| The Princeby Niccolò Machiavelli | 5 | 1 | 83% | 4 | — | — |
| The Federalist Papersby Alexander Hamilton and James Madison and John Jay | 4 | 1 | 80% | 2 | — | — |
| The Communist Manifestoby Karl Marx and Friedrich EngelsThis page | 3 | 3 | 50% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
All 6 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“also not agree to the claims of the Communist Manifesto”
“The Communist Manifesto is an oldie but goodie.”
“the manifesto is far too simple”
“it was written more as a political ad, if you will.”
“The Communist Manifesto is the seminal work. It’s fairly short.”
“I suggest reading the Communist Manifesto, so you know what to argue against if nothing else.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.