Brief Analysis Of Karl Marx free essay sample

# 8217 ; s Positions On The Relationship Between Social Change, Socioeconomic Class Structure And Ideology Essay, Research Paper As James Farganis ( 1993 ) notes, Karl Marx # 8220 ; continues to be of involvement. . . # 8221 ; ( p. 27 ) to many sociologists. Harmonizing to Alan Swingwood ( 1991 ) , # 8220 ; During the class of the 1840 # 8217 ; s and 1850 # 8217 ; s, Marxism emerged as the first sociological theory which identified scientific analysis with the involvements of a specific socioeconomic category. . . # 8221 ; ( p. 61 ) . Since the impression of socioeconomic category division is discussed often in popular topics such as economic sciences, sociology, psychological science, criminology, communicating surveies, etc. , it is of import and interesting to analyze Marx # 8217 ; s ideas on category division as they relate to the construct of societal alteration and political orientation. Rationale on Why Topic was Chosen While reading the plants of Swingewood ( 1991 ) and Farganis ( 1993 ) , it became a disputing undertaking to see and understand how Marx # 8217 ; s legion thoughts intertwined. This compelling challenge drew involvement and hence resulted in this brief analysis of Marx # 8217 ; s thoughts on the relationships that exist between societal alteration, socioeconomic category differences and political orientation, as we understood them. Pulling on Swingewood ( 1991 ) and Farganis ( 1993 ) to Understand Marx This paper is centered around the subject of societal alteration, and how/if socioeconomic category and political orientation influence societal alteration or vice-versa. Harmonizing to Swingewood ( 1991 ) , # 8220 ; Pre-Marxist socialism lacked both a theory of societal alteration and a appreciation of society in footings of the dealingss between economic organisation and the societal and political system. . .basing the necessity for socialism on alterations in human nature # 8221 ; ( p. 61 ) . In order to understand the quotation mark, one must develop an apprehension of the construct of human nature. Harmonizing to Farganis ( 1993 ) , Karl Marx and Frederick Engels viewed societies as being divided into conflicting and graded categories on the footing of two standards: ownership of the agencies of production # 8211 ; land, commercial endeavors, mills, and wealth # 8211 ; and the ability to buy and command the labour of others. When viewed in visible radiation of Marx # 8217 ; s and Engel # 8217 ; s footings, human nature seems to be based on the end of capital addition. When analysing human nature and socioeconomic category division in footings of societal alteration, Marx believed that finally, the affluent addition the ability to act upon of import societal establishments: the authorities, the media, the schools, and the tribunals. Those in power have entree to the agencies necessary to make and advance a world that justifies the development of the lower category working population. Harmonizing to Farganis ( 1993 ) , this version of world is so influential that even those who aren being exploited semen to accept it. This apprehension shows Marx # 8217 ; s positions on the manner that societal alteration is affected by socioeconomic category. Marx # 8217 ; s positions show how socioeconomic category division is important in seeking to impede alteration, socioeconomic category division is the primary agencies by which the powerful categories in society prevent protest and revolution, which frequently result in immense alterations within society. Equally long as big Numberss of people believe that wealth and success are merchandises of single difficult work and attempt instead than societal inequalities, bitterness toward the wealthy will diminish because inequalities are perceived as just and merited. In briefly reflecting on how this perceived relationship between socioeconomic category and societal alterati on, it is interesting to look at how the 3rd variable of political orientation comes into drama in Marx # 8217 ; s theory. Harmonizing to Swingewood ( 1991 ) , Marx believes that # 8220 ; Society is explained non through thoughts but instead thoughts through society: thoughts have no history other than as elements of society and history # 8221 ; ( p. 72 ) . Marx and Engels viewed the theory of ideo logy as a relationship between societal construction and thought systems. Further defined: â€Å"ideas are simply the inactive contemplations of an external economic order. Knowledge is epiphenomenal, the merchandise of nonsubjective societal involvements and therefore incapable of exerting an active function in society and societal change† ( p.72 ) . Marx’s mentality on political orientation straight relates to knowledge, since thoughts and the ability to believe critically are by and large associated with cognition. Marx seems to believe that people get cognition non needfully in order to get more wealth and power, which, as seen antecedently, influences societal alteration, but because of a corporate earning by society to larn. Marx besides puts great accent on cognition in footings of concrete, touchable ‘proof’ of being instead than political orientation, which he says is, â€Å"distorted thought† ( p. 72 ) . Marx says, † . . . Life is non determined by consciousness but consciousness by life† ( p. 73 ) . Although Marx # 8217 ; s theory shows a direct relationship between societal alteration and socioeconomic category, he externally says that political orientation does non impact societal alteration. When analysing political orientation in footings of socioeconomic category, Marx says political orientation in fact, # 8220 ; mystifies existent dealingss. . . of category involvements # 8221 ; ( p. 72 ) . Marx purely believed that, # 8220 ; the forces of production # 8216 ; represent the economic construction of society. . . # 8221 ; ( p. 73 ) . Harmonizing to Marx a # 8220 ; mind # 8217 ; s # 8221 ; existent motivations for geting cognition are non as a agency of wealth and motion from one socioeconomic category to another, but that, # 8220 ; motivations forcing him remain unknown to him, otherwise it would non be an ideological procedure at all # 8221 ; ( p. 73 ) . Contemplation and Decision In looking at Marx # 8217 ; s ideas it was found that Marx seemed to believe that, a relationship exists between societal alteration and socioeconomic category, but he does non believe political orientation influences these. In traveling over the literature presented in Farganis ( 1991 ) , and Swingewood ( 1993 ) , we found there to be small grounds presented by Marx to back up his incredulity in political orientation # 8217 ; s relationship to societal alteration and socioeconomic category. We would dispute Marx # 8217 ; s view on political orientation and say that it does, in fact, have an influence on societal alteration. We believe that people non merely strive to get cognition for personal and societal fulfilment, but people besides want to develop themselves intellectually as a agency of critically believing approximately ways to get more wealth and power in society. Peoples want to larn how to detect thoughts on how to do concern run better, and more expeditiously. We see this procedure as political orientation. Peoples throughout society are endeavoring to larn more in order to increase their capital addition, they are besides traveling to make societal alteration. An illustration of this is today # 8217 ; s construct of instruction. More and more pupils are told that more instruction is needed beyond the high school degree in order to get a good occupation with good wage, etc. Though there are still those who feel instruction is necessary regardless of capital additions, many feel it is a necessity because of the desire to break his or her chances further in life. This changes society in that more and more pupils are prosecuting a college instruction and more and more pupils are come ining the work force with thoughts and critical ideas on how to better concern. As we see it, political orientation is developed through instruction and cognition and is a critical factor act uponing societal alteration and socioeconomic category. What topographic point would Marx experience instruction has in society since he sees cognition as holding such small impact on societal alteration? If Marx views economic inequality as an of import factor in making a system of category stratification, does a individual possessing wealth and power have authorization over a worker, hence prohibiting the worker from endeavoring to raise to the following category degree? 3f9