ROYAL UNIVERSITY OF BHUTAN

(NORBULING RIGTER COLLEGE)

DOTENG, PARO, BHUTAN

Title of the Assignment : Karl Marx: Communism and critique of Capitalism

Module code and Name : PTH202 Modern Political Thought.

Module Tutor : Ms. Geeta Devi Adhikari

Date of Submission : 15th October, 2023

Submitted by (Name and Std.No) : Dechen Tshering (14221146)

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 Karl Marx: Communism and critique of Capitalism

Introduction
Karl Heinrich Marx was born in May 5, 1818, Trier, Rhine Province, Prussia (Germany) and
died on March 14, 1833, London (England). His Father was a lawyer and his mother was from
Holland. Marx studied law and philosophy at the university at Bonn and later at the University of
Berlin. While Marx was at Belin he joined the Young Hegelians, a group of radical thinkers who
developed critique on the work of Hegel (1770-1831). He is a profound German philosopher and
economist who is best known for his work as a radical political socialist and theorist. Marx with
his friend Freidrich Engels published “The Communist Manifesto” in 1848, that emphasis on
communism and critique on capitalism. Marx also outline about how bourgeoisies suppressed
the proletarians and exploit them through surplus value as the means of production were owned
by the bourgeoisies. He also argued that economic was the base of the society and how
economics control the superstructure of the society. This study will examine on the main idea of
Karl Marx that focus on the class conflict between two different classes, economic as the base
of the society and some criticism of Marx theory.

Class Struggle
According to Marx, there is a class conflict in the society between Bourgeoisies and
proletarians. Bourgeoisies are the people who control the means of production in the capitalism
society while proletarians are those people who sell their labor in exchange of wages. Marx saw
that bourgeoisies only see the working class (Proletarians) as a means of increasing their profits
and proletarians had limited freedom and choices. I also agree with Marx, due to increasing
focus on the economy in the contemporary world many business people who owns the means
of production use labor as a means to increase their profit by making them to do all the works in
the factory and enjoying the profit made by the labor. He argued that there was an unequal
distribution of resources, power, and economic in the society where it lead to conflict between
the two classes. Further, the interests of both these classes differ and bourgeoisies will take any
means to satisfy their interests. He argued that as the means of production is controlled by the
capitalist (Bourgeoisies) they suppressed and exploit the proletarians from their own products.
Moreover, the bourgeoisies were exploiting the proletarians and becoming richer and richer
while the working class was becoming poorer as they forced the labor to work beyond their
working time and wages paid are less which result in exploitation of proletarians. Marx use the
term “Surplus Value” the difference between the value created and wages paid. I strongly
support Marx view because in the industrial area the owner of the factory usually enjoy the
increasing profits and the worker are usually paid less than what they work and going against
the owner are punish through either economic sanction or in the form of pressure. For example,
in 2010 the Apple factories was accused of exploiting Chinese workers where the workers were
not paid enough and workers are said to work excessive hours.
 Marx argued that due to exploitation of proletarians by bourgeoisies the working class was
being alienated from their own labor. Alienation is the feeling of isolation, powerless, and
dissatisfaction. He laid down four aspects of alienation where workers are being alienated from
their own products, alienated from the process of labor where worker are treated as object in the
production process, alienated from human essence, and alienated from other people due to
competition among workers for the jobs. Thus, Marx view that revolution by proletarians can
help to achieve communism, a classless society where the means of production would be
collectively owned by everyone and wealth are distributed equally. However, I reject the view of
Marx idea on communism and revolution. According to Roy (2005), the only people in the
society who could revolt against the bourgeoisies is the middle class not proletarians. I strongly
agree to the point, proletarians are the lowest class in the society and they sell their labor in
order to survive in the capitalist society. Further, as proletarians have to think for themselves
they cannot carry out revolution and live under false consciousness of bourgeoisies but in the
case of middle class they have the consciousness of bourgeoisie’s action and possess enough
resources than proletarians to carry out revolution in the capitalist society.

Economic as Base
According to Marx the economic was the base of the society and he believed that all other
aspects of society is control by the economic. Marx economic theory is rooted in the idea of
historical materialism, that emphasizes on the materials conditions of a society including its
mode of production and ownership of the means of production are the primarily drivers of
historical change. He argued that in any society its superstructure such as laws, education, art,
religion, beliefs, and value is direct result of its social and economic organization. The crucial
connection between the base and other elements of society was need for ruling class to
maintain their position and power in the society. He believed that laws, education, government,
beliefs, and value exist to protect the property of the ruling class as this superstructure are
control by the ruling class to satisfy their needs and secure their power. The ruling class teach
the people to believe that society is organized is natural and that they should not questioned.
Therefore, the base not only determine the various institutions but also the way people think.
Thus, the ideas, beliefs, and values reflect the interest of the ruling class.
This view of Marx on economic as base is also relatable in the contemporary world and I
believed that economic control the other aspects in today’s society. From my perspective and
experiences people who have control over the economic are controlling the institutions and
other aspects of the society to maximize their benefits and use them in their favor. Further, I
agree on Marx view that values, beliefs, and ideas are manipulated by ruling class and it reflects
the interest of bourgeoisies. For example, many rich businessman such as Donald Trump has
influence over various aspects of society. They create and imposed their own values, beliefs,
and idea in order to protects their interests and secure their power. Moreover, arrival of new
tends and fashion in society that are created and imposed by rich people to the society show
how rich people change the way people think and make them to follow their ideas in order to
maximize their benefits. Thus, I think that Marx view on economic as base and that it control the
superstructure can be seen in today’s society.
Criticisms of Marx Theory
Marx theory was appreciate by many people and saw its relevance in the society. However
Marx ideology have raised several concerns and criticisms over the years. Some critics argued
that Marx only focused on economic as the source of conflict in the society and neglect other
aspect of the society. This criticism can be seen as relevant because Marx only focused on
economic role in the society whereas other aspects such as culture, values and beliefs can also
trigger and led to conflict in many ways in the society. Further, Lois Tyson in his “critical Theory
Today” criticize Marx for focusing on economic power and reject the idea that economic control
other aspects of the society. He argued that this are all the ideologies created by human to
make a reality for ourselves. As criticized by Tyson, we human create our own ideologies, value,
and cultural in the society for our needs and thus the ideas that we create such as economic
power, high class, and low class are just an ideologies we human create to make a reality for
ourselves.
Marx had been criticized by many other thinkers but among them I find Marx Weber criticism
very applicable and compelling. Weber criticized that class division were not solely based on
economic inequality but also factor like status. He introduced the concept of “status groups” and
believed that social stratification was much more complex that Marx economic factor. I find this
argument very applicable because most of the people in society is divided due to their status.
For instance in society people are identified and respect through their status. People who have
high status are given more respect and more opportunity than people who are from low status.
Further, people status are known from which group they belong to and the title they have
achieved. Government servants are given more respect and treated well than farmers and labor
in the community. Thus, this show that not only economic inequality create social stratification
but also other factors such as status that creates inequality in the society.

Conclusion
In conclusion, Karl Marx focus on the idea on how capitalism creates inequality in the society
and how it led to bourgeoisies to exploit the working class for their greater benefits. Not only that
he also argue that due to unequal distribution of resources and power it led to class struggle.
Further, Marx believed that economic to be base of the society and that economic controls the
superstructure because the means of production were owned by the capitalist. Even though
many found Marx idea very relevant his ideas were also criticized as some of his ideas only
focus on one particular factor and neglected the other aspects of the society.
 References

Adams, I. & Dyson, R.W. (2007). Fifty Major Political Thinkers. Routledge.

Cohen, G.A., (1978). Karl Marx’s Theory of History: a Defense, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Popper, K. (1948). The open Society and its Enemies, London: Merlin.

Kain, P.J. (1981). Marx’s Theory of Ideas. History and Theory, 20(4), 357-378. Retrieved from
https://doi.org/10.2307/2504778.

Thompson, K. (September 15, 2023). Marx; Key Ideas for First Year Sociology.
ReviseSociology.
Retrieved from https://revisesociology.com/2015/11/22/marx-key-ideas-summary/

Sayers, S. (2007). The Concept of Labor: Marx and His Critics. Science & Society, 71(4),
431-454. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40404442