Marxism

Question 1

Karl Marx

Answer 1

Karl Marx was a theorist who travelled through Europe during the later 19th century, where he encountered much poverty and inequality. He argued that the working class (proletariat) were being exploited by the ruling class (bourgeoisie).

Question 2

Capitalism is divided into 2 classes

Answer 2

The proletariat (working class) are people who earn a wage for a living, especially people who are dependent on manual, daily, or casual labour, while the bourgeoisie (ruling class) are those who make their living through property or through ownership of the means of production?

Question 3

What does ‘means of production’ mean?

Answer 3

The means of production refer to the raw materials and means of labour (tools, machines, etc.) employed in the production process.

Question 4

Base and Superstructure

Answer 4

Marxists believe that society consists of two parts:

The Base refers to the mode of production. This includes the means of production (tools, factories, land etc.) and relations of production (property relations, division of labour etc.)

The Superstructure is made up of everything not entirely to do with production, so culture and institutions.

The Base shapes (and maintains) the Superstructure, while the Superstructure maintains (and shapes) the Base.

Question 5

The bourgeoisie increase their wealth by exploiting the proletariat

Answer 5

Marxists see the relationship between these classes as exploitative - the amount of money the bourgeoisie pay their workers is always below the market price of whatever they have produced. This difference between the profits and wages is called ‘surplus value’.

Question 6

Critiques of Marxism

Answer 6

Marxist concepts of social class are seen as too simplistic - there are more than two social classes, including the middle class.

Most people today don’t identify with members of their social class, possibly due to social mobility.

Marx’s predictions regarding the ‘inevitable success of communism’ have not come true and have been proved wrong with the collapse of communism in the late 20th century.

Capitalism has changed since the late 19th century and appears to work for many people in the current age - legislation has given workers more rights, making capitalism less exploitative.

Marxists are too concerned with class inequality and do not focus on other points of contention, such as gender or race inequality.