Marxism: Class (Bourgeoisie and Proletariat)

Marxism: Class

(Bourgeoisie and Proletariat)

Q. Discuss the ‘Class’ division in Marxism

Answer:Karl Marx's ‘class theory’ originated from a range of philosophical thought, including left Hegelianism, Scottish empiricism, and Anglo-French political-economics. Marx's view of class stems from a series of personal interests related to social isolation and human struggle, through which the ‘class’ structure relates to intense historical consciousness. Political-economics also contributes to Marx's theories, centering on the concept of "origin of income" where society is divided into three subgroups: tenants, capitalists and workers. This classification is based on David Ricardo's theory of ‘capitalism’. Marx reinforced this by discussing verifiable class relations.

Thus, in Marxist theory, the capitalist stage of production consists of two main classes: the bourgeoisie, the capitalist who owns the means of production, and many large proletarians (or 'working class') who need to sell their own working power.

Communist class theory asserts that the situation of a person in the class pecking order is dictated by their part in the creation cycle and contends that political and philosophical awareness is controlled by class position. A class is the individuals who share normal monetary interests, become mindful of those interests and take part in aggregate activity that pushes those interests ahead. In Marxist class theory, the structure of the production process forms the basis of class construction.

To Marx, a class is a group that has hidden inclinations and interests that put it aside from different gatherings in the public eye, the premise of central hostility inside such groups.  For example, maximizing wages and benefits in the best interests of the workers and in the best interests of the capitalists to maximize profits at such costs, which leads to conflict in the capitalist system, even if the workers and the capitalists themselves are ignorant of the conflict of interest.

Communist class theory was available to an assortment of elective positions, particularly from researchers like E. P. Thompson and Mario Tronti. Both Thompson and Tronti recommended class cognizance in the creation interaction before the development of useful connections.  

Class structure:

Marx recognizes one class from another based on two measures: responsibility for method for creation and control of the workforce of others. From this, Marx said, "society as a whole is becoming more and more divided into two great enemy camps, and the two great classes are facing each other directly."

(i) Bourgeoisie: The capitalist, or bourgeoisie, owns the means of production and buys the labor of others.

(ii) The proletariat: The workers, or the proletariat, do not have the power to buy any means of production or the labor of others. Rather they sell their labor power.

‘Class’ is thus divided by property relations, not by income or status. These factors are determined by distribution and cost, which reflect the class production and energy relationship.

The "Manifesto of the Communist Party" depicts two extra classes that "degrades nonetheless present day in the face of artistry and at last vanish"

(iii) Petite Bourgeoisie: A little, impermanent class known as the humble bourgeoisie has satisfactory strategy for creation yet doesn't accepting work. Marx's Communist Manifesto has failed to properly define the petty bourgeoisie outside the "petty bourgeoisie".

(iv) Lumpen-Proletariat: "Dangerous class", or lumpen-proletariat, "social filth, which is passively rotted by the lowest strata of old society."

For Marx, there are three basic aspects of class:

Purposeful reasons:

A class shares a general relationship with the medium of production. That is, all people in one class live their lives in a common way in terms of owning things that produce social goods. A class can own things, own land, own people, possess, own, nothing but their labor. One class will collect taxes, produce agriculture, enslave and work for others, be enslaved and work, or work for wages.

Thematic reasons:

Members will necessarily have some idea about their similarities and common interests. Marx called this class consciousness. Class consciousness is not only an awareness of one's own class interests (for example, maximizing shareholder value; or, maximizing wages by reducing working days), class consciousness also embodies deeply divided opinions about what society should be like. It is legally, culturally, socially and politically organized.

Reproduction of class relations:

Classes, as a set of social relationships, are reproduced from one generation to another.

Overall, Marx wanted to define class as bound in productive relations rather than social status. His political and economic thought developed towards an interest in production as opposed to distribution, and it later became a central theme of his class ideas.

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