Karl Marx Research Paper

Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, social scientist, sociologist, historian, journalist and revolutionary socialist. Marx was born on 5 May 1818 in Germany and died on 14 March 1883 in London. Karl Marx is regarded to be one of the founding fathers of Sociology. Capitalism, in layman’s term means “an economic, political, and social system in which property, business, and industry are privately owned, directed towards making the greatest possible profits for successful organizations and people.” (Cambridge Dictionary, 2014). Capitalism, according to Karl Marx is divided into two major social classes: the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat. The Bourgeoisie, which is the minority of the class system, own the means of production such as land, machinery, factories and raw materials whereas the Proletariat, which is the majority of the class system, having no means of their own production and have to work to earn wage for a living.

The Industrial Revolution cast its shadow upon European cities and towns. Some enjoyed this shade while others suffered tremendously because of it. Those who enjoyed the luxuries and wealth that the Industrial Revolution provided, the bourgeoisie, depended on the needs of the poor, the proletarians, to increase the size of their monstrous factories and ultimately their wealth and influence. In “The Communist Manifesto” Karl Marx discusses the effects of the Industrial Revolution in further dividing society by creating new social and economic hierarchies. In addition to his observation of the division of labor, Karl Marx believed, that due to the technological shift from craftsmanship to machinery this also caused division of labor and the appreciation of proletarian handmade goods was disregarded. Through “The Communist Manifesto” one is able to imagine a conversation between Karl Marx and Adam Smith. One where Karl Marx replies to Adam Smith’s theories on the manufacturing process, wages, and the division of labor with the reality of the proletarians, that Adam Smith disregarded. In this essay, I will argue for the shadow of change that machinery has cast upon laborers and the socioeconomic changes that were triggered as a result of the Industrial Revolution and the shift to machinery in factories .

It is always difficult to write about and discuss Karl Marx, or more importantly the applications of Marx’s theories, due to the fact that he inspired and gave rise to many movements and revolutionaries, not all of which follow his theories to the point. Although Marx tends to be equated with Communism, it might not seem righteous to blame him for whatever shortcomings occurred when his theories were put to the test; Marx passed away well before the revolution in Russia, and he played no role in the emergence of the totalitarian regime at the time.

Throughout his life, Karl Marx has altered the way that he views labor and what labor means to society as well as the individual. We can see how in The Fetishism of Commodities and the Secret Thereof Karl Marx is still concerned about the laborers but is more focused on scientific notions and ideology as well as the economic components compared to what how he focuses on social aspects in The Alienation of Labor. The Alienation of Labor was written first, in 1844. The Fetishism of Commodities and the Secret Thereof was written in 1867. Over the course of these twenty three years Marx began to shift his focus from what labor means to the individual to a more abstract distanced look at the capitalist system.

Marx explains that society needs to be understood by studying real, existing human beings. We think about individuals historically to gain an understanding of reality. Physical survival is the key component; moreover, individuals need to survive to create history in which Marx studied to create explanations. Social production is a fundamental part of Marx’s theory of historical materialism. He asserts that individuals need to organize themselves and create some sort of order to survive. In Antz, they organize themselves by their profession, whether it is worker, soldier, or royalty. Social production also depends on an individual’s physical environment. The third foundation of historical materialism is the geographic environment and human needs.

the higher classes for personal profit. One of his most important works that challenged the ideas

Karl Marx was a German philosopher and economist in the 18th century. He is known for his book the Communist Manifesto that was published in 1848. Marx believed that a revolution of the working classes would over throw the capitalist order and creates a classless society. The Industrial Revolutions led to the proletarianization; his partner Friedrich Engels explained why the changes created by the proletarianization of the worker would develop into a huge problem for industrial societies.

Throughout the class we have been introduced to several articles, which have clearly depicted work in America. Today I have picked four readings that spoked to me in a variety of different ways. The first two articles Karl Marx, “Alienated Labor” and Thomas Jefferson’s “On Manufactures” were two of the readings that I could really relate to in my own personal work life. The final 2 readings were the Frithjof Bergmann’s “The Future of Work” and Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of a Nation”

Marx is known to be the person behind the theory of Marxism and communism and one of the most influential socialist thinkers at his time. He was a German Philosopher, Economist, Sociologist, Historian, Journalist and mostly known as a Revolutionary. Marx is basically known as the co-author of the pamphlet titled “Manifesto of the Communist Party” with his comrade Frederick Engels. On the other hand, a new religion has arisen which proclaims that History is God and Karl Marx its chief prophet.

Karl Marx (1818-1883) considered himself not to be a sociologist but a political activist. However, many would disagree and in the view of Hughes (1986), he was ‘both – and a philosopher, historian, economist, and a political scientist as well.’ Much of the work of Marx was political and economic but his main focus was on class conflict and how this led to the rise of capitalism. While nowadays, when people hear the word “communism”, they think of the dictatorial rule of Stalin and the horrific stories of life in a communist state such as the Soviet Union, it is important not to accuse Marx of the deeds carried out in his name.

Marx’s declared labour is not carried out with any consideration for the individual’s talents and skills but rather takes place entirely according to the laws of capitalist commodity production. Marx emphasized as modern society grows the worker becomes poorer with the wealth he produces and the more his production extends and increases in power, the worker is becoming a cheaper commodity than what he produces.

Social inequality is one of the main issues in social science. One of the main purposes of sociology is to criticise social issues. As Zygmunt Bauman is stating, “Sociology is a critical activity” (2014, 26), that aims to criticise economic and social improvement within the society. Society´s hunger of ceaseless improvement is often resulting in a paradox: the higher classes are taking advantage of capitalistic development, the more lower classes are suffering from this constant growth, due to an uneven distribution of power.

It would take volumes to describe how important Karl Marx’s work is in sociology. His work is important in the 21st century because his concepts and ideas are the only genuine seeds for a better society. I see Marx as a voice for the voiceless, the weak, and the vulnerable in all societies across the globe.

with nature and can use it in their lives. Thus, labour doesn’t just remain a physical act, but also one that brings about realisation of

Son of a successful Jewish lawyer, Karl Heinrich Marx was born on the 5th of May 1818 in the city of Trier located in western German. As a young man Karl Marx studied law in Bonn and in Germany’s capital Berlin, he graduated with a degree in philosophy from the University of Jena. In the year 1843 Karl Marx moved to Paris which at the time was a breeding ground for extreme and radical political view and theories, in Paris Marx became a revolutionary communist and met German philosopher and social scientist Friedrich Engels who became not only his friend but his lifelong collaborator as they co-authored ‘The Communist Manifesto’ in 1848. Towards the end of his life Marx moved to London and produced his most famous and important piece of work ‘Das Kapital’ which is still being read to this day and remains relevant, Karl Marx passed away in 1881 in London and Is still one of the most famous critical minds in history even being called "the first great user