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Essay on Impact of the Theories of Karl Marx then and now
The life and work of Karl Marx, in its many interpretations, has had enormous consequences. Although much in his writings can be fully appreciated only in its historical context, many would argue that little of Marx's thought is obsolete. Indeed, since many social tendencies that were only beginning to predominate in his day have grown increasingly significant, Marx retains a presence that other social theorists of his era, such as Hegel, Comte, and Spencer, have lost. With nearly half the earth's population governed by regimes professing to be Marxist, and with Marxist groups of various sorts nearly everywhere else, it is not a great exaggeration to claim that ours is the "Age of Marx”.
Although Marx died more than three-quarters of a century ago, adequate assessment of him probably remains a matter for the future. If importance may be measured by impact, he is certainly one of the most important minds of modern times. Yet his influence has diminished in recent decades and continues to do so today, especially on his own continent of Europe. And in so far as Marxism remains a powerful force in the world, the explanation seems to lay not so much in its enduring persuasiveness as in the imperatives of political power in those countries where Marx's Weltanschauung has become a political mythology, a narrative associated with the rites of single-party politics (Thomas, 1980).
But let us disregard the question of decline and continuity of Marx's influence, and conclude with a brief evaluation of his thought, or of those basic aspects of it that have been considered here. Many of the critical conclusions have been indicated in the course of the analysis. As a starting point for a summary of them it may be helpful to ask what Marx has to say to us now, or how relevant his thought is to the problems........
