Marx's Theories

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Recommended: A basic outline of Marx’s theory

Though Marx’s theories were first conceived over 150 years ago, his work continues to be tremendously influential and is perhaps the most well known scholarship within the sociological canon. Despite their prominence, some of Marx’s most famous ideas have yet to be proven by the course of history. Neo-Marxists may insist that the revolution is coming, but the fact remains that the overthrow of capitalism has yet to materialize. I argue that the communist revolution has not yet occurred because the proletariat has been unable to develop the universal class consciousness that Marx asserts is a necessary condition for his predicted mass uprising. Additionally, I postulate that the theories of Weber and Simmel reveal the factors impeding the formation of class consciousness among members of the proletariat. While Marxist ideology dismisses the individual’s role in society and contends that the economic superstructure governs everything, Weber and Simmel each present a more nuanced interpretation of the social world. The work of these two theorists acknowledges individual agency and examines forces outside of the economy that impact individuals. In the following paper, I discuss how the social forces described by Weber and Simmel complicate Marx’s conception of the class structure. Moreover, I contend that the theories of Weber and Simmel illustrate how distinctions and divisions can arise within Marx’s broadly defined social classes. Ultimately, these divides within the proletariat impede the development of class consciousness and prevent the overthrow of capitalism. Marx’s belief in the inevitability of the proletariat revolution stems from his understanding of society and conception of the social structure. He posits th... ... middle of paper ... ...ormative. Weber describes the routinization of capitalism by stating, “The Puritan wanted to work in a calling; we are forced to do so” (1905: 123). When an economic system becomes routinized, the worker has difficulty seeing an alternative to his present situation. As a result, routinization impedes class consciousness and the desire for revolution because it causes capitalism and the inequality it entails to appear normative. Similar to Weber, Simmel also explores social forces that Marx’s economically centered theories fail to consider. Marx focuses solely on macro-level structures and disregards the role that individual agency might play in social and economic life. Simmel, on the other hand, concentrates on individuals and directs his analysis at micro-level interactions. For Simmel, society arises from individuals, not larger superstructures (1922).

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