Marx's Marxism

Question 1

Capitalism’s 3 distinctive features

Answer 1

1. The proletariat, unlike serfs, are legally free but must sell their labour to survive
2. Due to competition between capitalists, ownership of the means of production becomes contentrated and the prolatariat grows in size
3. Continously expands the means of production

Question 2

How does capitalism sow the seeds of its destruction?

Answer 2

By polarising the classes, it causes the proletariat to grow in size and drives prices down- the best conditions to develop class consciousness

Question 3

What will the proletariat revolution achieve

Answer 3

• abolision of the state and the creation of a classless society
• abolition of exploitation and end to private ownership
• end to alienation as people regain control over their labour and its products

Question 4

Weber’s criticism

Answer 4

His class model is too simplistic. Weber was able to subdivide the proletariat into skilled and unskilled

Question 5

Criticism of Marx’s base superstructure model

Answer 5

Economic determinism. The idea that economic factors are the sole cause of social change.

Weber argues that Calvinism brought about capitalism