Karl Marx's Classes

Paper Summary:

One basic tenet of Karl Marx's, defined in his famous "Manifesto of the Communist Party", is the distinguishing characteristics of two opposing social classes, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. This paper explains how these classes can easily be defined; the working class, or proletariat, and those that gain wealth from it, the bourgeoisie. While the bourgeoisie class continues to gain wealth and power, the proletariat falls in a downward spiral of social and economic crisis. This paper examines how each class differs according to Marx's definitions.

From the Paper:

"Marx's theory illustrates a good versus evil society. In his manifesto, he says, "Society as a whole is more and more splitting into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat" (Marx). He predicts that a "haunting specter of Communism" (Marx) is looming ahead in the future, unleashing a revolution that will overthrow economic forces, and governments as well as social and cultural forces that exist in capitalist countries. Marx urges this overthrow by the proletariat class, asking them to liberate themselves and unify under the Communist Party. Communism will lead them in a revolutionary action that will overthrow the bourgeoisie and thus win them the world, which the bourgeoisie has created. (Lavine 306)"

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