The volume provides a comprehensible and content-rich introduction to the thinking of Karl Marx. It aims to convey foundational knowledge for the study of social sciences. At the same time, it attempts to bridge the gap between Marx's writings and current scientific and political discussions. The introduction offers an overview of the life and work of Karl Marx, dialectics and historical materialism, the Marxist view of history centered on classes and class struggle, the analysis of politics and ideology in bourgeois society, the Marxist concept of labor and its feminist critique, as well as the fundamentals of the critique of political economy even in the age of globalization. The collective authorship of the volume follows the idea of addressing the richness of perspectives in Marxist thought through interdisciplinary collaboration.