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Philosopher · Writer · Journalist · revolutionary
Nineteenth-century thinker and revolutionary. He analyzed capitalist society and developed theories of class struggle and social transformation. He had a major influence on modern political thought and social movements.
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Work
The Communist Manifesto
1848
Book
Map: Natural Earth (PD)
Born in Trier in Prussia, he studied philosophy at university. Through journalism he sharpened his political criticism and worked across Europe while experiencing censorship and exile.
With Friedrich Engels he published the Communist Manifesto, and in London he worked on Capital. He analyzed social structure by linking economics, history, and politics.
His life was often marked by hardship, yet he continued research through enormous reading in libraries. He was both a theorist and a practitioner involved in the international workers' movement.
Marx's thought influenced labor movements, socialism, revolution, and arguments about the welfare state. States later appeared in his name, making his legacy material for thinking about both the possibilities and dangers when ideas become political institutions.
