"...the advantage of the new movement is that we do not want to anticipate the world dogmatically, but only to discover the new by way of the criticism of the old world. Until now, philosophers kept the solution of all mysteries inside their desks, and the stupid uneducated world merely had to open its mouth and the fried dove of absolute knowledge would fly in.

"Philosophy is now secular, for which the best proof is that philosophical consciousness itself feels the pain of the struggle not merely externally, but also internally. It is not our task to construct the future and to deal with everything once and for all, but it is clear what we have to do at present--I am thinking of the merciless criticism of everything that exists-- merciless criticism in the sense that it is not afraid of its findings, and just as little afraid of conflict with the existing powers...."

(Marx to Ruge, 1843)

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