Karl Marx

Karl Marx (1818–1883) was a German philosopher, political economist, historian and revolutionary socialist, best known as one of the founders of Marxism. He was born in Trier, in what was then Prussia, and studied law and philosophy in Bonn and Berlin. In his youth, he was influenced by German idealism, but later turned to a materialistic view of the world, under the influence of Ludwig Feuerbach.

Marx's most important work is Capital (Das Kapital), a fundamental analysis of the capitalist mode of production, where he presents theories about surplus value, exploitation and class struggle. Together with Friedrich Engels, he wrote the Communist Manifesto (1848), in which he called on the working class to unite and overthrow the capitalist system.

Marx spent much of his life in political exile, especially in London, where he wrote, analyzed economic data and collaborated with the international labor movement. His ideas had a profound influence on political theory, history, and social movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, including the creation of socialist and communist states.

He died in 1883 in London, and his legacy remains the subject of intense debate and interpretation.