1848+: Last and First Men

How history is made
Far from being “mechanical,” Karl Marx and Frederick Engels’ view of society stresses how people make history, though not in conditions of their choosing.

August 28, 2009

IT IS often argued that the Marxist view of history allows no room for conscious human intervention–that to Marxists, everything which happens in the realm of political conflicts and class struggle is merely a passive reflection of what goes on at the economic “base,” and history charts a predetermined course according to historical laws, irrespective of the actions of individuals or groups.