Karl Marx (1818–1883) was a German philosopher, economist and revolutionary writer who is commonly described as one of the most influential figures in human history. The most notable books that Marx published were <em>The Communist Manifesto</em> (1848) and <em>Das Kapital</em> (1867–1894). Implying the end of the exploitation of labor and common ownership of the means of production, Marx believed in the inevitable economic breakdown of capitalism which is to be replaced by communism.