Recently however the debate has shifted from the classical questions that Marx and Weber were asking over a century ago- How is class defined? What are the elements that make up a social class? Too the question of whether or not class is relevant anymore with regards to the contemporary societies in which we live. The classical approaches of Marx and Weber and their criticisms will be discussed first, and then the theories relating to class of contemporary sociologists Giddens and Bourdieu In order to tackle the question of whether or not classical approaches are relevant to contemporary societies, we need to look at the ideas on class of Marx and Weber. Karl Marx was a late 19th Century thinker.
Like Durkheim (a Functionalist), Marx believed it was possible to understand society scientifically and scientific knowledge would lead to a better society. However (unlike Durkheim), he believed capitalism would increase human misery before giving way to a classless, communist society, in which humans would be free to fulfil their potential. He believed that history would go through a series of base changes – primitive communism, ancient society, feudalism, capitalism and then communism. The organisation of production in a society shapes the nature of society – refers to this as the base/superstructure. According to Marx – in a capitalist society, the economic relationship of exploitation requires ideologies in the superstructure to cover up inequality – they are not innocent/neutral because they justify inequality and serve the interest of powerful groups.
Marx mainly explored materialism by constructing two concepts: the social relations of production and the forces of productions. In this paper I will be analyzing how Marx uses these two concepts: how he constructed them along with what they mean and how he used them to describe his new idea of materialism. In the German Ideology, Marx first talks about the first premises of materialism. He states “The premises from which we begin are not arbitrary ones, not dogmas, but real premises from which abstraction can only be made in the imagination. They are the real individuals, their activity and the material conditions under which they live, both those which they find already existing and those produced by their activity” (42).
In 1776, Scottish philosopher Adam Smith wrote An Inquiry into the Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Because of the ideas presented in his book, Smith has often been called the father of economic theory. His book is required reading at a great number of universities today. It’s hard to imagine that a book written in 1776 can still be important to society today. Smith's theories and concepts regarding economics are very much relevant today.
Assess the usefulness of Postmodernism to our understanding of society today Postmodernism is a major intellectual movement that we are living in a new era of post modernity. There is an ongoing debate in sociology as to whether society has moved from modernity to post modernity. Modern society first emerged in Western Europe. Capitalism was established what is based on private ownership and of the means of production and the use of wage labourers. Capitalism brought about the industrialisation of modern society, this idea is favoured by Marxists but postmodernists argue that society is not as simple as this.
Considering their lasting influence and pertinence to contemporary society, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Karl Marx have both immensely contributed to the study of social and political theory. This paper aims to provide core analyses of two of their notable, corresponding works: Rousseau’s Discourse on the Origin of Inequality and Marx’s The Communist Manifesto. Notwithstanding. Having been written nearly a century apart, an interwoven study of the two works reveals a deeper insight into and comparison of the ideas set forth by both. Fundamentally, Rousseau and Marx refuted the theories of their predecessors; namely Hobbe’s insistence that man’s original state of nature was terrifying and disadvantageous to individuals and Locke’s championing of the protection of an individual’s right to private property.
In order to competently grapple with the works of Karl Marx, it becomes necessary to understand his core philosophies, foundations, and the historical, social, and economical climates of his time. During the course of this paper it is my aim to briefly explain these foundations and conditions, as well as put into plain words chosen selections from the Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts and the Communist Manifesto. Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts One of the largest influences on Marxian thought was Georg Hegel’s concept of human history from a teleological point of view. Just as an acorn has a predefined telos (becoming a mature oak), Hegel believed that humans, too, had a destined end (a form of earthly utopia). Furthermore, Hegel believed that this end could be achieved by the human species being over generational periods.
Criticisms This perspective failed to clearly show how areas of conflict were addressed, as they emphasized agreement and people all having the same shared values (vale consensus). Realistically this is not always evident in society. No clear account was made as concerning the dealings with deviant behaviour in society. Marxism Is an economic political theory by which law is considered an instrument of oppression and control, and which the ruling class uses against the working class. Marxism holds at its core a critical analysis of capitalism and a theory of social change.
Karl Marx’s negative connotation to the word i.e. “delusion and mystification” also plays a big part. Marx applied ideology as a critical notion whose use is to expose a course of systematic perplexity. Engels referred to ideology as “false consciousness” Marx distinguished his ideas as scientific as they were constructed precisely to unmask the workings of history and society (encyclopaedia of philosophy 2005 p100). The difference between ideology and science, "false and truth’ is highlighted and therefore crucial to his usage of the term.
Kendal Krantz Sociological Thought February 14, 2013 Weber and Marx Comparison Max Weber is noted as one of the greatest sociologists due to his immense contribution to the development of sociology through studied of the individual’s actions. Weber’s work in the early 20th century of subjective behavior expanded the study of society greatly. At the time, societies were being studied by the application of universal law, but Weber furthered the discipline by defining a principle objective he called Verstehen, or interpretive understanding. By this interpretation of the meanings attached to individual’s behaviors, Weber constructed categories of social actions. Through his analyses of social action, he devised the theory of rationalization.