Karl Marx wrote in the Communist Manifesto that "The history of all hitherto
existing society is the history of class struggles." This statement highlights the importance of understanding the role of social classes in shaping the development of societies throughout history. Marx believed that these class struggles were the driving force behind social change and the eventual emergence of communism as the ultimate form of societal organization.
According to Marx, these class struggles were characterized by the conflict between the ruling class, who owned the means of production, and the working class, who labored to produce goods and services. He argued that the exploitation of the working class by the ruling class would inevitably lead to a revolution in which the working class would overthrow the bourgeoisie and establish a classless society based on common ownership of the means of production.
Marx's analysis of class struggles and his vision of communism as the final stage of human societal development continue to influence political and economic thought to this day. While his ideas have been criticized and debated by scholars and thinkers, his work remains a foundational text in the study of social and economic theory.