M3 Lesson 1- Part 2

Capitalist mode of production                                                                     

          We now turn our attention to Marx’s economic theory. Marx believe that our history is driven by
two major competing classes of people: the bourgeoisie, and the proletariat. These two classes are the
prime movers of social change.

          The bourgeoisie includes the capitalists, or those who have the wealth and power. They are the
persons who own the means of production. Because they have the money, they own buildings,
machines, and all the equipment needed to start and maintain their businesses.

          The proletariat on the other hand are the working class. This group includes, well, maybe you and
me, including your parents who work 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, in order to live. The proletariat
class doesn’t own the means of production. They must serve the capitalists as laborers in order to earn a
living. They only have one power in their hand that they can sell—labor power.

          The relationship between these two classes of  people according to Marx is always in conflict. The
capitalist class exploit  the working class in order to achieve its end goal—to earn profit. The working
class on the other, hand have no choice but to endure hard work so they can provide for their selves and
their families. Because they have no choice, they are mostly subjected to exploitation and abuse by their
capitalist employers.

          Just imagine how ordinary workers endure long hours of traffic and unhealthy conditions at work
every day just to survive. Most of them are being treated unfairly because their employers don’t give
them enough salary or employment benefits. Worst, they are sometimes laid off for work, simply
because they are not needed anymore. Their work has become redundant to the company.
          Now, this major division between two classes of people, according to Marx, exist even prior to
capitalism as a mode of production. In traditional societies, we have the division between  masters and
their slaves. In agricultural societies, the opposing clases are the lords and the serfs. The lords own the
land and the serfs work for them to survive.

          But in capitalism arose a new opposing classes: the capitalists and the working class.

          Capitalism is what preoccupied Marx in his entire academic career and revolutionary life. He asked
why, despite the abundance and the promise of wealth by capitalism as a mode of production, this
period was characterized by rampant poverty, exploitation, misery, and conflict? This question led Marx
to spend his whole life unearthing the contradictions of capitalism, why is it an ugly social condition, and
how we can change this system and transition to socialism, then, finally to communism. Marx believe
that communism is the only social order where people can go back to its human nature. Because of
capitalism’s tendency to alienate the workers from their work, and from the product of their work, it
therefore negates the very essence of their being.

          Capitalism is against human nature according to Marx, because the products we creatively
produce in our work are not our own. They belong to the capitalists.

         His ideas became the inspiration of succeeding revolutionaries and scholars including the two
examples I have given to you in Russia and in Cuba.  Watch this documentary:

Who was Karl Marx? | DW Documentary (Links to an external site.)

          Let’s review. First, we learned how Marx view human nature. From there we understand why he
considers human beings as the agents of social change. Then, by knowing his economic view, also
derived room his idea of human nature, we learned how our contemporary society is in constant state
of change because of the never ending clash between the capitalists and the working class.

          Let me just make myself clear. In the interest of time and space in this module, I only select Marx’s
idea of social change. But certainly, there are more theorists who also explored this topic, and I invite
you to do your own research on that. My personal selection of Marx comes from my personal
interpretation of the topic, and from the fact that Marx is probably one of the most, if not the most,
great thinkers of social change in human history.

          Before we talk about the role of the media on Marx’s idea of social change, let us first meet a
Marxist thinker who developed another novel concept which is also important in looking at social
change. His name is Jurgen Habermas.