Chapter 24 : Cultural Revolution Some Western thinkers, like British philosopher Adam Smith, held that capitalism—private ownership of industry—benefited society as a whole and should operate without government controls. Others felt that industry needed some government regulation to ensure a just society for all classes. The German thinker Karl Marx believed that capitalism should be replaced by socialism, a system in which the workers themselves or through government would control industry for the public good. The Industrial Age saw great advances in science, from ideas about human origins to new methods for fighting diseases. Improved means of transportation allowed people to emigrate from their native lands. Interest in education led to the spread of literacy, while artists and writers responded to the changing times in a variety of ways.