Karl Marx

Karl Marx one of the most influential and revolutionary (radical) social theorists of all time. Conflict theory has had a tremendous impact on feminist theory, many of the theories are directly derived from his thought. People in Marx’s view are basically good. He had a positive optimistic view of human nature, he believed that humans had been corrupted by society. He believed that people should grab political power and use it for its own emancipation. Some theorist call Marx illogic- The nature of human nature- it is similar to the Fallacy of the single factor, this is because Marx believes that the economy is the basis for everything in its structure. Religion, and politics are also derived from the economy everything and anything in the cultural realm is a product of economics. (Pearson-shades of gray matter) Marx wanted to make a change he was aiming to influence people in order to promote change- his objectivity in social research was shot when he said that all research done was biased so it was not possible to perform it, that most previous work should be thrown away. He believed that political advocacy and science were dispassionate. Everything has political influences some more than others-true but- in a non-black and white world shades of gray matter.

Core Dialectic

Constructing social theory statements saying that in an effective synergistic reciprocal process multiple actors and time, how individuals act with other actors. Notion of Interaction of people w other groups- kind of cause and effect. All human history is based on Economics takes place dialectically (in stages)

Modes of production

1. Primitive Communism - No social classes everything is equal hunting