Enlightenment & 1800s · 1818–1883
Marx
Their big question
“Who really runs society?”
Karl Marx argued that to understand history, you should ‘follow the money.’ Throughout history, a small group has owned the farms, factories, and wealth, while the majority does the work — and the struggle between these classes drives history forward. He believed workers would eventually rise up to create a fairer, classless society.
“The philosophers have only interpreted the world; the point is to change it.”
The big idea
Marx's ‘historical materialism’ says the economy — who owns the means of production — is the foundation that shapes everything else: laws, politics, religion, and ideas. He argued capitalism ‘alienates’ workers from their work, and that class struggle would lead to revolution and eventually communism.
Why it matters
Whether you agree with him or not, Marx is one of the most influential thinkers in history. His analysis of capitalism, labor, and inequality shaped economics and sociology, and inspired movements and governments across the 20th century.
The big argument
Regimes built in his name (in the USSR, China, and elsewhere) led to dictatorship and the deaths of millions — though scholars fiercely debate how much follows from Marx's ideas versus how rulers twisted them. Critics also note his prediction that capitalism would collapse hasn't come true.
In their own words
- “Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains.” — Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
- “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” — Karl Marx
🤯 Fun fact
Marx spent years writing his huge book ‘Capital’ in the reading room of the British Museum library, often in poverty.
Learn more
Portrait: Photograph of Karl Marx, 1875. Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons.
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