Karl Marx

Known for

Das Kapital, The Communist Manifesto, historical materialism

Thought

Marx argued that a society's economic base — who owns the means of production — determines its political and ideological "superstructure", and that history moves forward through the struggle between classes with opposing economic interests (historical materialism). He predicted capitalism's internal contradictions would eventually drive the working class to revolution, overthrowing the owning class and ultimately abolishing class society altogether.

Biography

German philosopher and economist who spent much of his life in exile in London, collaborating closely with Friedrich Engels and living largely in poverty.

CSS Philosophy paper topics

Major works

• Das Kapital
• The Communist Manifesto