Sociological Factors and Influences of Karl Marx in Conflict Theory

Karl Marx: Sociological Factors and Influence Conflict Perspective Theory
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Karl Marx: Sociological Factors and Influence in Conflict Perspective Theory
Karl Marx left an indelible mark in the world. His ideologies still permeate through socio-economic and political circles. His ideologies represent the epitome of history, philosophy, economics, and revolution. It is not easy for anyone to quantify the extent of Karl Marx's impact on the world. The materialistic ideology, as known in the precincts of history, is attributable to Karl Marx. The concept of materialism is a viewpoint for examining economic, political, and social changes in society. Karl Marx argued that social classes and associated social relationships constitute a fundamental impediment to human development in terms of productivity.

Capitalism in the industrialization process was also brought under sharp focus by Karl Marx, who observed that workers were subjects of exploitation. Another concept that Karl Marx illuminated is centered on class conflict and conflict theory, which constitute the gist of this paper. Marx's argument on conflict theory focused on the clash between two primary classes, with each class comprised of people bound by mutual interests and a sense of property ownership. Marx postulated that the bourgeoisie is a group of people who hold the majority of the wealth and means. The other group is the proletariat, which is constituted by the working class or the poor.

More often, it is not possible to discuss Karl Marx's ideas without the element of capitalism. It is not only Marx who had raise issues about capitalism; other philosophers shared similar sentiments. Prussian Nobel Joseph Maria von Radowitz wrote in 1846 that the next revolution would not be political but a social one in which there is hunger against gluttony and nakedness against luxury (Noyes, 2015). Prussian Nobel Joseph Maria von Radowitz's arguments were equally shared with others, including Tocqueville, who prophesied about the gale of revolution in the air. Tocqueville argued that the battlefield would be restricted to those who have and those who do not, and the property forms the center of contestation. These arguments form the bedrock of argument, which Karl Marx further magnified through the lens of capitalism pitting the bourgeoisie against the proletariat.

One of the critical centralities of Karl Marx's arguments revolves around power distribution, the society where it is structured in a top-down approach. The top-down structure is marked by the uneven distribution of power and resources. The overall structure is disproportionately controlled by a wealthy and powerful minority, who are better bestowed with the privilege to control the production processes. Marx and Engels laid bare the theory of class conflict via the Communist Manifesto in 1848, where they argued that the bourgeoisie, minorities, and the wealthy were responsible for creating class conflict through labor exploitation, which runs the systems of production (Noyes, 2015). The Communist Manifesto in 1848 formed the basis for ensuing communist movements, which felt that capitalism could lead to ultimate self-destruction. The...