It was in the 1848 political pamphlet “Communist Manifesto” where German political theorist and economist Karl Marx, together with German philosopher and political theorist Friedrich Engels, first explicitly discussed class struggle. However, the idea appeared in some form in earlier works of Marx as well, such as the “Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844” and “The German Ideology” written between 1845 and 1846 and published posthumously.
Marx introduced class struggle as the engine of historical change. He believed that change in social and economic systems is achieved through conflict and not harmony. Moreover, he argued that contradiction, like in older systems, is fundamental in capitalism because workers produce value but capitalists extract profit. Eventually, this exploitation would become intolerable, leading the proletariat to revolt, abolish capitalism, and establish a classless, communist society.
The terms “bourgeoisie” and “proletariat” are central to the class struggle theory. Each represents a class with opposing economic interests. These opposition interests create conflict and Marx believed that this conflict would eventually lead to revolutionary change. Understanding the separate roles of the bourgeoisie and proletariat is essential in understanding how Marx and other Marxists considered the origin and cause of class struggles under a capitalist system.
Understanding Class Struggle According to Karl Marx: What is the Difference Between the Bourgeoisie and Proletariat? Who Were They? Are They Still Present Today?
Karl Marx, according to his historical materialist analysis, noted that the bourgeoisie and proletariat work side-by-side to overthrow aristocracy. This marked the end of the feudal system and the start of the capitalist system. However, another form of class struggle emerged under capitalism due to the conflicting interests of the bourgeoisie and proletariat classes.
Bourgeoisie: The Capitalist Class and Their Role in Class Struggle
The bourgeoisie are the owners of the means of production or productive assets These include the factories, land or real properties, capital, and other resources used to produce goods and generate wealth. This is the reason that they are called the capitalist class.
Marx explained that the bourgeoisie generate and accumulate wealth by owning productive assets and employing workers. They pay these workers wages in exchange for their labor while keeping the surplus or profit for themselves. This is their role in the class struggle.
The capitalist class also controls political power and power structures, legal systems, and norms and ideologies to maintain dominance. Nevertheless, because their power depends on capitalism, they have a strong interest in preserving this socioeconomic system.
Proletariat: The Working Class and Their Role in Class Struggle
The proletariat represents the workers who do not own the means of production and must sell their labor to the capitalist class in exchange for wages. This is essential for their survival. They are called the working class. Their labor is critical to production.
Marx argued that the proletariat produces value through their labor but receives only a small portion of this overall produced value via the wages paid to them. Most of the value, also called the surplus value, is taken by the bourgeoisie. This creates a class struggle.
The working class is exploited and alienated from their work, the product of their labor, from each other, and their human potential. Marx believed that they would later gain class consciousness, unite, and overthrow the bourgeoisie to establish a classless society.
Dialectic View of Class Conflict: Each Class Defines the Other
Dialectics is a method of understanding change through contradictions. It comes from Hegelian philosophy. Marx adopted and turned it into a materialist framework. The foundational idea is that progress happens through conflict between opposing forces.
Marx noted that the bourgeoisie exists only because there is a working class to exploit and that the proletariat exists only because they are excluded from ownership of the means of production. The relationship is mutually defining. Capitalism cannot have one without the other.
The contradiction between the two classes deepens as capitalism develops. Workers then begin to recognize their shared interests. This is class consciousness. This will result in a revolutionary action with the primary purpose of abolishing class divisions altogether.
Nevertheless, after the proletariat wins the conflict, Marx predicted a temporary socialist state where the workers control production. This will eventually lead to communism or a classless and stateless society where resources are shared and exploitation is eliminated.
The dialectic conflict of Marx essentially presents the idea that the existence of bourgeoisie and proletariat are inevitable under capitalism. These two classes are locked in a conflict that will ultimately lead to the overthrow of capitalism and the creation of a new society.
Relevance of Marxian Class Struggle: Class Conflict in Modern Times
Marx developed and presented his views on class struggle during profound economic, social, and political upheaval in 19th-century Europe. The Industrial Revolution, the rise of capitalism, and a series of political revolutions formed the key context in which he formed his ideas.
The bourgeoisie and proletariat class still exist today but they are often referred to differently. The modern bourgeoisie includes corporate executives and owners, billionaires, and large shareholders or investors. These groups benefit disproportionately from economic growth.
Moreover, the modern equivalent of the proletariat class is now more diverse. It includes service workers, factory workers, teachers, and healthcare workers, as well as gig workers and freelancers. These individuals sell their labor to survive without owning productive assets.
Nonetheless, although the terms “bourgeoisie” and “proletariat” look different in modern society, the Marxian view of class struggle still applies today in many ways. The foundational structure of inequality and conflict between economic classes remains highly relevant.
Modern economic systems are now more complex but this does not change the fact that economic and social conflict between classes remains a powerful force. Modern examples include stagnation in wages amidst rising corporate profits and pervasive cost of living crisis.
FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
- Koht, H. 1929. “The Importance of the Class Struggle in Modern History.” The Journal of Modern History. 1(3): 343-360. JSTOR: 1871424
- Losurdo, D. 2016. Class Struggle: A Political and Philosophical History. Springer
- Marx, K. and Engels, F. 1984. The Communist Manifesto