It is no secret that Karl Marx was the defining figure of many European scientific disciplines such as history, philosophy, economics, and political science. He developed many original political-historical and socio-economic ideas and even proposed his own conceptual system explaining critical civilization processes and events. His philosophical model, namely historical materialism, turned out to be so ideologically powerful that it has influenced the world for over one hundred and fifty years.
Studying his fundamental ideas, such as the mode of production, is how one can improve their understanding of political science and economics. The mode of production is a system that encompasses people producing commodities, the nature of these products, the instruments and methods with which they were made. It also includes socio-technological interrelations and connections that arise in historical production. Mode of production is how Marx distinguished and explained the civilizational stages of human history.
Marx also described the distinct feature of the capitalist mode of production in his philosophical papers. The unique features of capitalism compared to slavery and feudalism are production to achieve private enrichment, the market orientation of products, and wage labor. It is also distinguished by the sole possession of the means of production by the group with the enormous capital. Some believe that it is the current socio-economic paradigm, while others think humanity is transitioning to a new one. His historical materialism contributed to a clear distinction between consumers, producers, and owners in the economy. Marx’s ideas also became the drivers for the emergence of such political phenomena as activism and workers’ strike. His philosophy also motivated politicians to condemn and prohibit child labor and advocate for workers’ rights in the workplace.