Karl Marx’s Theory of Class

Karl Marx is known as an extreme social theorist and has many influences on the current population today. Throughout his studies, his main interests included: politics, economics and struggles that existed between classes in society. In his famous book the Communist Manifesto, he explains how although society was mainly built upon capitalism, it will soon be replaced by communism. This drastic change will occur when the proletariat (the workers) will realize that they have been victims of capitalism and want to change their society to a classless society where communism is present.

Capitalism is the idea of a company or corporation owning and controlling all the means of society. In Marx’s terms these owners would be known as the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie control the socioeconomic system and have the proletariat work under them, essentially keeping themselves wealthy and in control. The system was so harsh that even if the proletariat wanted change, it was not possible because of how the system was designed. In order to gain a capitalist society, the bourgeoisie must first take complete control of the situation and become distinguised owners in a society.

After they own a big and successful corporation they then have workers in which they train and make their workers believe that in order to survive they must work and brainwashing the workers to believe that working is the only option they have. Once this idea is engrained into the workers mind, this is all they will know how to do and will teach their children to do the same, therfore letting the main owners continue to remain the main owners of society.

Marx understood this struggle between these two classes, he knew this soon would become unacceptable to the workers and they would come to a realization of the inequity in their society. In the first line of the Communist Manifesto, Marx brings out the concernment of his book, “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles (Marx, 1848). Marx believed that the struggles between the burgeosie and the proletariat is what caused the strain between them and society. He understood that the process of communism will one day replace capitalism.

Communism is social equalization occuring in a society. No one person or corporation owns the means of production rather it is shared among the community. The idea of communism is what Marx believes was the answer to an equitable and just society. “One of his