Karl Marx (1818 - 1883) was a German economic historian and social philosopher whose ideas formed the foundation of modern communism. The son of a successful lawyer, he was educated at the universities of Bonn, Berlin, and Jena. After receiving his doctorate in philosophy in 1841, Marx tried to get a teaching job but failed because of his radical views. During the 1840s, while he was still in his twenties, Marx spent short periods in Germany, France, and Great Britain, where the police sought to expel him because of his articles advocating revolution. In 1848, at the age of 30, Marx and his close friend Friedrich Engels published The Communist Manifesto, which included the statement: "Workers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains."

In 1849, after being expelled from both Germany and France, Marx moved to London where he spent the final 34 years of his life writing and struggling for survival. Engels, who was the son of a wealthy industrialist, has been credited with keeping Marx, his wife, and their five children from starving during this period. Marx worked almost continuously from early morning until late at night doing research and writing. In 1867, the first volume of his major work, Das Kapital, was published.

Marx viewed capitalism as a struggle between the "rulling class", the capitalists who owned the means of production, and the "oppressed class", the workers who were "exploited" by the capitalists. He argued that private ownership of the means of production under capitalism was the heart of class conflict, and he urged the workers to rise up and overthrow capitalism.

Marx's ideas have altered the course of history, shaping the policies of nations and affecting the lives of millions, Yet during his life he had few friends. When he died in 1883, Engels delivered his eulogy, and only eight people attended the funeral.

Notes

1. Reference book: Smith Allen W. Understanding Economics. New York: Random House School Division, 1988

2. radical views: extreme opinions differing from mainstream society 激进的观点

3. shaping the policies: determining the order of society and shaping of government 决定和改变社会次序

radical 激进的

expel 驱逐

struggling 挣扎

continuously 不断地

exploited 被剥削的

overthrow 鄙弃，推翻

eulogy 悼词