Karl Marx

Karl Marx (1818–1883) was a German philosopher, economist, and political theorist whose writings laid the foundation for Marxism. Educated in philosophy and law, he developed the theory of historical materialism, which explains how material and economic forces shape human history. His later magnum opus, Das Kapital, analyzed capitalism’s internal contradictions in greater depth.

Friedrich Engels (1820–1895), Marx’s lifelong collaborator and friend, was a philosopher, social scientist, and the son of a wealthy textile industrialist. His book The Condition of the Working Class in England vividly documented factory exploitation and inspired his alliance with Marx. Engels financially supported Marx’s work and helped publish The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital.

Together, Marx and Engels created one of the most influential bodies of thought in modern history. Their ideas have inspired revolutions, redefined economics and sociology, and permanently altered humanity’s understanding of power, labor, and justice.