INTRODUCTION CLASSES IN CAPITALISM
MARX’S CLASS AND CLASS CONFLICT
A CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE
“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history
of class struggle” : KARL MARX
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CLASS STRUGGLE REVOLUTION
AN INTRODUCTION TO CLASS
ETYMOLOGY DEFINITION
The word “class” is derived When people share the same
from Latin term “classis” relationship to the means of
which means a division of production and share the
people similar consciousness regarding
their common interest, they
constitute class.
STRUCTURE AND
DIVISION
EMERGENCE
Explained in Capital Volume III
(1894). Under the title of “Social They born as a result of
classes”, based on their sources of
income, three different classes: Industrialisation and division of labor
Thriving of capitalistic industrial
The laborers ( earn living in cost of labor ) businesses
The capitalists ( own the capital; earn living Different self-interest groups
through surplus profit ) Economic resources of livelihood
The landowners ( own the land and lease earning.
out to earn )
Society tend to divide into : “the haves” / “bourgeoisie” and “the have-nots”/“proletariat”
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CLASSES IN CAPITALISM
Two variables:
(i)the hard toil of the laborers and (ii) the authority over the means of production.
These two factors govern social relationships in capitalism.
CLASSES
INDUSTRIAL CAPITALIST’S
CLASS, OWNS CAPITAL, REAP BOURGEOISIE
SURPLUS VALUE BY DON’T OWN MEANS OF
EXPLOITING THE LABORS. PRODUCTION, SUBSISTED IN
PROLETARIAT ALLIED ECONOMY, RAPID
INDUSTRIALIZATION LEAD
CLASS OWNING LAND, TO THEIR FORMATION
ROYAL AUTHORITATIVE AND
DOMINANT GROUP, USED LANDLORDS
LAND TO ACCUMULATE CONSERVATIVE AND
WEALTH OR CAPITAL REACTIONARY GROUP OF THE
PETTY BOURGEOISE SMALL MANUFACTURER, THE
RUINED AND ADVENTUROUS SHOPKEEPER, THE ARTISAN,
OFFSHOOTS OF THE BOURGEOISIE, THE PEASANT.
VAGABONDS, DISCHARGED LUMPEN PROLETARIAT
SOLDIERS, DISCHARGED JAILBIRDS, MUDDLED AND
PICKPOCKETS, BROTHEL KEEPERS, SCATTERED SECTION,
RAG-PICKERS, BEGGARS, ETC. PEASANTS & MAY JOIN THE
FARMERS PROLETARIAT OR
3 LANDOWNERS
CLASS STRUGGLE
“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle” :
Class conflict was inevitable with the emergence of exploitative production system and private
ownership of means of production
BEGAN WITH SLAVE IT GETS A CONCRETE
OWNING SOCIETY CULMINATE IN
CAPITALIST SHAPE TO SUBSEQUENTLY
SOCIETY REACH ITS PEAK.
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3
CLASS
CONFLICT
TAKES PLACE
CLASS
STRUGGLE
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CONTINUED
WORKING CLASS
THROUGH FEUDAL CLASS
BECOMES
SOCIETY CONSCIOUSNESS
CONSCIOUS
4 OF THEIR
EXPLOITATION
REVOLUTION
CLASS CONFLICT “Dictatorship of Proletariat”
destroy the inherent contradiction in capitalist REPLACEMENT WITH
BETWEEN THE CLASS OF SOCIALISM OR
society
CAPITALISTS AND THE COMMUNISM
end of exploitation & inequality, social classes
CLASS OF WORKERS
and class conflict
class consciousness
among the proletariat REVOLUTION establishment of
communism
inherent contradiction liberty will flourish
in the capitalist proletarianization MARXISM-LENINISM
economic regime
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~COMODITIES,
society is
progressively getting RELEVANCE IN THE PRODUCTS OF HUMAN
LABOUR
divided INTO MAJOR ~POSSESS
OPPOSING GROUPS:
capitalist and
CONTEMPORARY WORLD SUPERNATURAL POWER
~CAN BECOME
proletariats, directly SEPARATED FROM THE
struggling with each NEEDS AND PURPOSES
other. ~EXCHANGE VALUE
THEORY OF CLASS CONCEPT OF FLOATS
STRUGGLE COMODITY FETISHISM
THEORY OF
EXAMPLE: ALIENATION EXAMPLE:
Religious BRAND NAMES
conflicts, OVER QUALITY
Cab, etc OR USE-VALUE OF
THE PRODUCT
products s/he
~Cause of
produced,
“Capital: A critique of Dehumanisation
nature in which s/he
Political Economy” : ~Curse to capitalist
lives,
“Fetishism society his/her fellow
of commodities and ~Its an action
human beings.
money” through which a his/her own species
human being (from himself)
becomes alienated
from:
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THE ENDING
CONCLUSION
CRITICISMS
~MARX IDEAS ON THE TOPIC can/must BE
~ MARX SAYS “REVOLUTION WILL ONLY
ESTABLISH COMMUNISM IN FUTURE”
USED NOT ONLY FOR UNDERSTANDING THE
WORLD BUT ALSO FOR CHANGING IT.
~ RALF DAHRENDORF
~CLASS IS DEFINED IN RELATION TO MEANS
~ CAPITAL WILL DECOMPOSE DUE TO OF PRODUCTION AND CLASS
INCREASE IN CAPITAL SHARE HOLDERS CONSCIOUSNESS.
~WELFARE STATE WILL BECOME ~HUMAN HISTORY IS THE HISTORY OF CLASS
FUNCTIONAL STRUGGLE.
~MIDDLE CLASS WILL EMERGE
~HIGH SOCIAL MOBILITY ~EXPLOITATION AND INEQUALITY EXIST IN
EVERY STAGE OF HUMAN HISTORY
REFERENCES ~SOCIAL REVOLUTION WOULD LEAD TO THE
EMERGENCE OF A CLASSLESS SOCIETY
~Bage, Bikash And Moyong, Kasimang, (n.d.) “Classical WITHOUT INEQUALITY
Sociological Thinkers”, Ide, Rajiv Gandhi University AND EXPLOITATION.
~Das, Sukanya, (n.d.)“Sociological Thought”, Laxmi
Publication, LPU ~IT WOULD LEAD TO THE
~Sarmah, Upasona,(n.d.) “Classical Sociological EMERGENCE OF COMMUNISM
Thoughts”,codl, Tezpur University AND
THE DOWNFALL OF CAPITALISM
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