Final answer:
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels were philosophers who proposed Marxism, a response to the rise of capitalism. They believed that historical change resulted from class struggles, and predicted the end of capitalism brought about by a workers' revolution leading to socialism and then communism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels were significant figures in history known for their proposal of a new economic theory termed Marxism.
Marx and Engels believed that historical change happened from struggles between social classes, in particular, the bourgeoisie (who owned the means of production) versus the proletariat (workers exploited for their labor).
They asserted that capitalism would eventually crumble when these workers rose up in revolt against their bourgeois oppressors, which would usher in an era of socialism, where public, not private corporations or individuals, would control the means of production. This philosophy provides the fundamental ideology for socialists.
Marx and Engels emphasized this in their published work, The Communist Manifesto, in 1848, where they claimed that 'the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.' Their ideas about the class struggle being key to understanding societies is also representative of Marxism. They predicted a transition from private ownership, characteristic of capitalism, to a socialist system and then to communism, in which no class divides exist. Marxism emerged as a response to capitalism's rise, with Marx arguing that those who controlled the means of production had too much power over societal norms. This philosophical belief inspired many political movements and continues to influence many societies worldwide.
Learn more about Marx and Engels' Contribution