Karl Marx on the Jewish Question.

This article critically examines Karl Marx’s 1843 essay *On the Jewish Question*, focusing on its central theme of political emancipation and its role in the development of historical materialism. Marx’s essay responds to Bruno Bauer’s theological critique of Judaism by transforming the Jewish question into a political and social critique of the modern state and civil society, arguing that Jewish emancipation could not be fully achieved through political rights alone but required broader social emancipation. The article addresses accusations of antisemitism against Marx, clarifying that while some language in the essay reflects contemporary prejudices, Marx’s analysis integrates the Jewish question into the universal struggle for human emancipation rather than singling out Jews as a distinct problem. It also situates Marx’s work within nineteenth-century socialist debates on Judaism, antisemitism, and Zionism, emphasizing that Marx did not advocate for a national solution to the Jewish question and that his critique should be understood in its historical and intellectual context.