THEORY OF CLASS CONFLICT

Marxian Theory of Class Struggle or Class Conflict

Introduction

The Marxist theory of classes and class struggle belong to the key problems both of theory and political practice, strategy and tactics of the working class.

It makes possible a scientific analysis of each historical stage of social development, a preliminary condition if the political struggle for the victory of socialism is to have effective leadership.

THE ESSENCE OF MARXIST THEORY AND CLASS STRUGGLE Marx regards classes and class struggle as a

historical phenomenon which took place at a given stage of historical development.

It resulted in a socialist revolution and the dictatorship of the proletariat, conditions for the extinction of classes and the creation of classless society.

The Idea of Class Conflict is central to Marxian Thought Marxian sociology is often called “The

sociology of class conflict”.

The idea of class war emerges from the theories of

Dialectic materialism

Materialistic interpretation of history

Surplus value

Main Promise

“ The history of the hitherto existing society is the history of the class struggles. Freeman and slave, patrician and plebian, lord and serf, guild-master and journey man, in a word, oppressore and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another, carried on uninterrupted, now hidden and open fight, a fight that each time ended in a revolutionary reconstitution of society at large, or in common ruin of the contending classes.”

The communist manifesto, 1848

War between Classes

Marx says that according to the relentless law of history, a particular class owns and controls the means of production, and by virtue of this exploits the rest of the people.

The capitalist class makes use of the state as an instrument of oppression and exploitation.

Thus at every stage there are broadly two classes:

The Exploiters (the owners of means of production)

The exploited

Marx developed his theory of class conflict in his analysis and critique of the capitalist society. The main ingredients of this theory of conflict have been enlisted by Abraham and Morgan as described in this session.

Essential Aspects of Theory

1. The Development of the Proletariat Accentuation of capital is the essence of

capitalism.

Capital is gained according to Marx, from the exploitation of the masses of population of the working class.

2. Importance of Property

According to Marx, the most distinguishing feature of any society is its form of property.

Individuals behavior is determined by his relations to property.

Property divisions are the crucial breaking lines in the class structure.

Classes are determined on the basis of individual’s relation to the means of production.

3.Identification of Economic and Political Power and Authority

From a marxian perspective, political power emerges from economic power.

The power of the ruling class therefore stems from its ownership and control of the forces of production.

The political and legal systems reflect ruling class interests.

The political power and ideology thus seem to serve the same functions for capitalists that class consciousness serves for the working class.

4. Polarization of Classes

In the capitalist society, there could be only two social classes: The Capitalists who own the means of production and

distribution and The Working classes who own nothing but their own labor.

Though Marx had repeatedly referred to the intermediate state such as the “small capitalists”, “the petti bourgeoisie” and the “lumpenproletariat”, he was of the firm belief tat at the height of conflict these would be drawn into the ranks of the proletariat.

Raymond Aron has termed this process as “proletarianisation”.

5. The theory of Surplus Value Marx believed that the capitalists accumulate

profit through the exploitation of labor.

In fact, the relationship between the capitalists and workers is not only one of dominance and subordination, but also of exploitation.

The workers produce more wealth in the form of food, manufactured goods ad services than is necessity to meet their basic needs.

5. The theory of Surplus Value(Contd.,) In other words, they produce “Surplus

Wealth”.

But they do not enjoy the use of the surplus they have created.

Instead, those how own the means of production are able to seize this surplus wealth as “profit” for their own use.

According to Marx, this is the essence of exploitation and the main source of conflict between the classes.

6. Pauperization

Exploitation of the workers can oly add to their misery and poverty.

But the same exploitation helps the rich to become richer..

In every mode of production which involves the exploitation of man by man, majority of people, the people who labor, are condemned to toil for no more than the barest necessities of life.

According to Marx, poverty is the result of exploitation not of scarcity.

7. Alienation

The process of alienation is central to Marxian theory of class conflict.

The economic exploitation and inhuman working conditions lead to increasing alienation of man.

Alienation results from a lack of sense of control over the social world.

The social world confronts people as a hostile thing, leaving them “alien” in the very environment that they have created.

The situation of alienation ripens the mood of the worker for a conflict.

8. Class solidarity and Antagonism With the growth of class consciousness

among the working class, their class solidarity becomes crystallized.

The working class becomes internally more homogeneous and this would help to intensify the class struggle,

Because of this class feeling and solidarity, the workers are able to form unions against the bourgeoisie.

8. Class solidarity and Antagonism(Contd.,) They club together in order to keep up the

rate of wages.

They form associations in order to make provisions beforehand for occasional revolts.

Here and there contests break out into riots.

9. Revolution

When the class struggle reaches its height, a violent revolution breaks out which destroys the structure of capitalist society.

This revolution is most likely to occur at the peak of an economic crisis which is part of the recurring booms and repressions characteristic of capitalism.

Marx has asserted, unlike other wars and revolutions, this would be a historic one.

10. The Dictatorship of the Proletariat Marx felt that the revolution would be a bloody

one. This revolution terminates the capitalist society

and leads to the social dictatorship of the proletariat.

Since the revolution results in the liquidation of the bourgeoisie, they will cease to have nay power and will be reduced to the ranks of the proletariat.

Thus, the inevitable historical process destroys the bourgeoisie.

10. The Dictatorship of the Proletariat(Contd.,) The proletariats, then establish their social

dictatorship.

Marx, “those communists who were out otdestroy personal liberty and who wish to turn the world into one large barrack or into a gigantic warehouse.”

11. Inauguration of the Communist society After attaining the success in the revolution, the

workers in course of time, would create a new socialist society.

In this new society, the means of producing and distributing wealth would be publicly and not privately owned.

This new socialist society would be a classless and a casteless society free from exploitation of all sorts.

In this society, nobody owns anything but everybody owns everything. Each individual contributes according to his ability and receives according to his needs.

Conclusion

It is clear that at every stage in history, there is war between the classes.

Between the classes, there is endless antagonism and hatred.

Class conflict is the severest form of class antagonism.

Bibliography

Bibliography

Adams N Bert and R.A. Sydie, Sociological Theory, Vister Publications, New Delhi, 2009

Abraham M. Francis, Modern Sociological theory, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2008.

Martindale Don, The nature and types of sociological theory, Rawat Publications, jaipur, 1990

Delaney Tim, Contemporary Social Theory-Investigation and Application, Pearson education, New Delhi,2008.

Rao Shankar C.N, Principles of sociology with an introduction to social thought, S .Chand Publications, New Delhi, 2012

III SOCIOLOGY WITH CA

K.THIVYAPRABHA (2K11S39)