Who is often recognized as the father of communism due to his revolutionary ideas?

Karl Marx is often recognized as the father of communism due to his pivotal role in developing the theoretical framework and ideological underpinning of communist thought. His seminal works, particularly "The Communist Manifesto" co-authored with Friedrich Engels and "Das Kapital," provide a comprehensive critique of capitalism and outline a vision for a classless society where the means of production are communally owned.

Marx's analysis of society's class structure, economic systems, and historical progression through dialectical materialism laid the groundwork for communist theory. His belief that class struggle is the driving force of social change is central to communist ideology, emphasizing that the working class (the proletariat) would eventually rise against the capitalist class (the bourgeoisie) to establish a society based on equality and shared resources.

While Friedrich Engels contributed significantly to Marxist theory and aided in its dissemination, it is Marx's ideas that are primarily associated with the founding principles of communism. Figures like Max Weber and John Stuart Mill, while influential in social theory and philosophy, are not directly linked to the development of communist ideology in the way that Marx is.