Karl Marx was born in 1818 in Trier, Germany, to Jewish parents. His parents converted to Christianity when anti-Semitism reared its head with Hitler's rise to power. He was greatly influenced by Hegel's philosophy, but moved away from what he considered Hegel's idealism and developed his own theories. He married in 1843 and collaborated with Friedrich Engels in 1844. Engels supported him financially and co-authored some of Marx's most influential works. While his early work focused on philosophy, his later research revolved around economics. He is considered one of the most influential social theorists in history with his in-depth analysis of modern capitalism. His work focuses on the relationship between human lives and a capitalist economy. Although he is best remembered for his effect on communist leaders after his death, his legacy is actually centered on the effects of capitalism on social life. He died in 1883 in London.Marx helps us understand capitalism and the system we live in today. He argued that capitalism is subject to regular crises and uprisings, and we see this when we currently observe collapses around the world. We will obviously continue to live in a capitalist society, as opposed to a communist one, but with the awareness that it is a system that requires the intervention of political institutions from time to time. This was evident just recently when bailouts were necessary to keep such institutions alive during the 2008 economic recession, and what Marx predicted would be the outcome of this type of society. Marx is considered one of the most important social theorists of all time. Hegal argued that history occurs through a clash of opposing forces. Marx accepted this theory... half paper......ce the goods and services where they receive their profits, however, the proletariat (working class) receives low wages and is exploited by the bourgeoisie. Marx argues that members of the bourgeoisie experience different types of alienation from the products that are produced and are motivated strictly by profit rather than the desire to satisfy the human need for self-realization. The bourgeoisie is not only the economically dominant class, but exert influence on the politics of the state, thus making them politically dominant. Marx argues that eventually the proletariat will rise up and rebel, creating and developing its own class. We see this in many countries in recent years, including the Arab Spring, Greece and Italy. More recently we see this happening in Ukraine and also here in the United States during the “Occupy” riots”..