Timeless Ideals: The Enduring Influence of Karl Marx’s Thought on Social Change and Development Across Eras

Abstract

The paper subjected this philosopher, Karl Marx, to a critical review of the impact of his teachings on social change and development based on the issues of historical materialism and dialectical materialism. The examination of the most fundamental Marxist concepts, such as classes, the struggle of classes, surplus value, and proletariat against capitalist dichotomy, as well as the role of the proletariat in the adoption of socio-economic change in the future, concludes this study of evaluating the applicability of the Marxist idea in the past and the contemporary economic and societal developments. The manuscript uses a qualitative method of literature review to synthesize the old and new views, thus emphasizing the generality of Marxism in varied historical backgrounds and at various phases of societal development. This is evident in the findings that Marxist analysis has remained relevant in the analysis of inequality, exploitation of labor, and structural contradictions in the developing and developed world.