Karl Marx Definition Of Social Class

Class, what is it really? Class is defined by your relationship to the means of production. The means of production is anything that can be used to produce labor. Marx gives some examples of different classes in which he says that the Capitalist class also known as the (Bourgeoisie) owns their own means of production. Meaning they have the ability to produce products. The also employ workers in order to get surplus-value. And finally they have ultimate command of the labor process itself. The Other class Marx refers to is the working class also known as the (Proletariat) class. This particular class does not own their own means of production, so basically there are not owners of anything they are employees. This class makes a living by selling their labor power. In exchange for labor the can gain a small profit to pay bills and buy food and return back to selling labor again. They do not have any control over the labor process. This differs greatly from liberal view of what class should be. Liberals believed that individuals should be free to obtain work from the highest-paying employers, while the profit motive would ensure that products

In a free market, both labor and capital would receive the greatest possible reward, while production would be organized efficiently to meet consumer demands. Basically liberals class are saying people are not earning what they deserve thus widening the wealth gap. Their views of class are saying that they are inequalities to address not make the rich richer or the poor poorer. I would have to say that I fit in the Proletariat class simply because I am a worker and I have to sell my labor in order to gain profit. I also do not own any means of production itself, and I do not have any sort of control over the labor process. Marx's theory of objective alienation refers to the separation of things that naturally belong together, or to putting antagonism between things that are properly in harmony. Alienation occurs