Karl Marx Essay Example for Free

Karl Marx stressKarl Marx who was christened the father of modern communism was a advantageously renowned philosopher whose ideologies in the political, economy as well as social perspectives were very significant. To Marx, the issue of inequality in society was a major bear upon and a central point in his ideologies. He doomed the inequality in society on the economic output. (Healey J 2006). He placed more emphasis on the message of production which evidently implied the tools or materials used in order to ensure that goods and services were produced and distributed. To Marx, the look ons of production could vary depending on the prevailing economic system. In cases of agricultural societies, land would be an important means of production dapple for the industrial society the machinery and equipment, pointories as well as the transportation system were the means of production. Marx further famous that societies were dominated by capitalistic tendencies in spite of th em being agricultural or industrial. To him there ar two major social yres who are in continued struggle or conflict all over the means of production.The two major classes are the bourgeoisie who not only own but correspondingwise control the factors of production and it is also the ruling class. (Healey J 2006). The early(a) class comprises of the proletariat or the works class. Marx believed that conflicts between the two distinct classes were eminent or rather inevitable. The resultant effect was that the proletariat class would over throw the bourgeoisie and an equitable society would be attained. In the new society victimisation and coercion would be a thing of the past.The new society would be a class less(prenominal) society and inequality would be erased and social swop would be attained. Marx presented a opposed society that was characterised by continued class struggle. (Healey J 2006) Healey in Race, Ethnicity, Gender and class, noted that Max weber a German soc iologist was a major critic of Marx ideologies. He argued that Marx ideology of inequality in society was a very narrow one. To Weber, the inequality problem in society was complex and not as simple(a) as Marx presented it.He was quite categorical that inequalities in society could not be wholly blamed on economic forces. In this regard he noted the cases where people may belong to the elect class in society but lack wealth connect to it or vice versa. about people may have the wealth but lack the self esteem. (Healey J, 2006) Marx and Weber hold on the issue of inequalities in society. Weber expounded on Marx ideologies and he in fact adopted other social stratification mechanisms regarding inequalities with ownership and control of factors of production which was similar to Karl Marxs class ideology.Secondly, he brought about the idea of prestige where the amount of celebrate or self esteem given to people by others was highlighted. To Weber, factors like class, family blo od as well as physical appearance affected the amount of prestige or honour to be placed on people by others. The third stratification according to Weber was top executive or the ability to influence or control others. A persons stand in political organisation determined how powerful they were in the society.To Weber, the three groups had similar characteristics in the sense that wealthy, esteemed were likely to be more powerful when compared to the unforesightful people in the society. (Healey J, 2006). Both Marx and Weber agreed that the development of capitalism was as a result of accumulated capital. However, they differed on how the accumulation was ensured. Marx was convinced that owners of the means of production or the bourgeois acquired immense capital through expropriation and exploitation of the working class or the proletariat.On the other hand Weber perceived a society where the accumulation of capital was attributed to the dedication, self denial and hard work of th e capitalists. As Etzioni Halevy in Social change noted, Weber viewed social change in society as caused not only by the economic factors but also by value and ideas (Etzioni Halery E). Notably, Weber did not underestimate the role of or importance of economic factors in as far as social change in society was concerned. Some of Webers viewpoints realise him no fame as they just blended what Marx had earlier presented.The main distinction pertaining his ideologies was his emphasis on the fact that the advent of modern capitalism could not be wholly blamed on the economic factors. (Etzioni-Halevy J, 1981). To him, values had a very significant role to play and to this regard had to be considered with the same intensity that was attached to economic factors. Important values cited by Weber included achievement oriented values which worked to activate the entrepreneurs to work devotedly while negating from consumption to embrace investment.He perceived a society where entrepreneurs would kinda of consuming their profits re-invest to earn more profits. (Etzioni-Halery J, 1981) To Marx, social change would be realised when the two conflicting classes were no more or when the working class overthrew the ruling class over the means of production. Weber rejected this view point on the argument that social change was a complex grammatical construction which was affected by the class groupings as well as the varying or diverse status. (Allan K, 2005) The working class according to Marx earned a living by selling their labour to the owners of the means of production or capitalists.There was an eminent exploitation between the two classes in the society. Marx coined the term pauperization to mean the process through which the rich became richer as the poor grew poorer. The exploitation was due to the fact that the wages remunerative to the working class by the capitalists was not equitable to the work or output they produced. Apart from receiving poor pay, the work ing class in poor conditions that negatively affected their mental as well as physical well being. (Giddens A and Griffiths, 2006).Weber backed Marx idea that the society was characterised by conflicts for power as well as resources. On how the society was structured Weber negated from Marx ideology that economic factors alone had a role to play in its determination. In contrast he noted that other important aspects like status as well as party had a role in class differences. accord to Weber they could emerge from other aspects rather than economic forces. He noted that economic differences could arise from other resources rather than property for instance skills, qualifications or credentials. Taylor G and Spencer S, 2004). Weber argued that capitalism was not necessarily the unfavourable factor triggering alienation and deprivation of the working class. Consequently, elimination of the private ownership would not suffice in resolving the inequality issue in the society. Weber b lamed the alienation to the omnipotent structures of the bureaucratic get hold (Hamilton P, 1991). Weber rejected socialism as a way of resolving the problems associated or linked in capitalism.