
A 19th-century German philosopher, economist, and revolutionary whose theories on capitalism and class struggle formed the basis of Marxism.
Một triết gia, nhà kinh tế và nhà cách mạng người Đức thế kỷ 19 với các lý thuyết về chủ nghĩa tư bản và đấu tranh giai cấp, đặt nền tảng cho chủ nghĩa Marx.
This biography of Karl Marx helps you learn English through real historical stories. Explore Karl Marx's impact on the world.
Karl Marx was born in 1818 in Trier, Prussia (modern-day Germany), into a middle-class family. He studied law and philosophy at the universities of Bonn and Berlin, where he became deeply influenced by the ideas of G.W.F. Hegel. As a young journalist and radical thinker, Marx’s sharp criticisms of European governments and social institutions frequently led to censorship and exile. He eventually settled in London, where he spent decades studying political economy in the reading room of the British Museum, supported financially and intellectually by his lifelong friend and collaborator, Friedrich Engels.
Marx is best known for his revolutionary critique of capitalism. In 1848, he and Engels published "The Communist Manifesto," a politically charged pamphlet that famously declared, "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." Marx argued that the capitalist system is inherently exploitative, built on the conflict between the "bourgeoisie" (the wealthy owners of the means of production) and the "proletariat" (the working class who must sell their labor to survive). He believed that capitalism inevitably alienates workers from the products of their labor and creates the very conditions that will lead to its own destruction.
In his magnum opus, "Das Kapital" (1867), Marx meticulously analyzed the mechanics of capitalist production, focusing on concepts like "surplus value"—the unpaid labor from which capitalists derive their profits. He theorized that the proletariat would eventually unite, overthrow the capitalist class in a revolution, and establish a stateless, classless communist society where resources are distributed based on need. Although Marx died in relative obscurity in 1883, his ideas profoundly shaped the 20th century, inspiring major political revolutions in Russia, China, and across the globe, making him one of the most influential and controversial figures in human history.