Karl Marx
The German philosopher whose analysis of capitalism produced the most consequential political movement of the 20th century.
Origin
Karl Marx (1818–1883) spent most of his adult life in exile in London, reading in the British Museum and arguing with everyone. With Friedrich Engels he wrote The Communist Manifesto (1848) and produced the three volumes of Capital. He died in obscurity. His followers built two competing 20th-century empires (the Soviet Union and Maoist China), inspired anti-colonial revolutions across the developing world, and seeded the academic disciplines (critical theory, sociology of class) that still cite him daily.
Modern usage
'Marxist' is the standard pejorative on the right and a serious self-description on parts of the left. 'Workers of the world, unite!' and 'a spectre is haunting Europe' are the most quoted Manifesto lines. His diagnosis — that capitalism concentrates wealth and alienates workers from what they make — is now taken seriously even by people who reject his prescription.
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