Karl Marx

Karl Marx (5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist and socialist revolutionary. Born in Trier, Germany, Marx studied law and philosophy at university. He married Jenny von Westphalen in 1843. Due to his political publications, Marx became stateless and lived in exile with his wife and children in London for decades, where he continued to develop his thought in collaboration with German thinker Friedrich Engels and publish his writings, researching in the reading room of the British Museum.

Early life

Karl Marx was born on 5 May 1818 to Heinrich Marx and Henriette Pressburg. He was born at Brückengasse 664 in Trier, a town then part of the Kingdom of Prussia's Province of the Lower Rhine. Marx was ethnically Jewish. His maternal grandfather was a Dutch rabbi, while his paternal line had supplied Trier's rabbis since 1723, a role taken by his grandfather Meier Halevi Marx.

Career

Marx's career spanned from his time as a university student studying philosophy and law, to his later years writing about economics and sociology. His most notable works include The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital, which have had a significant impact on the fields of politics, economics, and sociology.

Philosophy

Marx's philosophy, often known as Marxism, is a critique of capitalism and a call for the working class to unite and overthrow the capitalist system. He believed that the economic system, or the means of production, shapes all other aspects of society, including politics, law, and culture.

Legacy

Marx's ideas have had a profound impact on world politics and intellectual thought. His critique of capitalism and his vision of a future communist society have inspired revolutions, shaped political ideologies, and influenced the fields of economics, sociology, and history.

See also

• Friedrich Engels
• Communism
• Capitalism
• Marxism