Although there is a strong diverse controversy tied with the name of Karl Marx, he was concerned primarily with human freedom, stimulating the ancient concept of Communism, in which human beings might fulfill their cooperative roles within society, without the fear of exploitation. He saw the historical period of capitalism as the "menacing" antagonist of such freedom; menacing because unlike serfdom (the predecessor of capitalism in the evolution of social relations), capitalism enabled the illusion of freedom even though it relied on those who have nothing to sell but their labor and those, who through the power of capital and property, exploit such labor for profit. It is important to point out that Karl Marx did not view capitalism as a stride in society's evolution toward realistic true freedom but as a necessary historical stage in that evolution.

"Evolution" is a key term in Marxist theory, and like...