Marxism, also known as conflict theory, was originated by Karl Marx and focuses on the struggle between capitalists and the working class. Some core ideas of Marxism include the concept of class conflict between the bourgeoisie (capitalists who own the means of production) and the proletariat (working class who do not own the means of production). Marx argued that this conflict would inevitably lead to revolution and the establishment of a communist, stateless, classless society.

1. MARXISM OR
CONFLICT THEORY
MICHAEL S. BAUTISTA, MAED

4. THINK ABOUT IT

5. MARXISM
•is a social, political, and economic theory originated by
Karl Marx, which focuses on the struggle between
capitalists and the working class.
•also known as “Conflict Theory”.

6. PROPONENTS
Karl Heinrich Marx – Father of Communism
born on May 5, 1818 in Germany and died on March 14, 1883, London, England. He published with Friedrich Engels the
most celebrated pamphlet in the history of the socialist movement, “The Communist Manifesto” and he was the author
of the movement’s most important book, Das Kapital.
FriedrichEngels - was a German philosopher, social scientist, journalist, and businessman who lived from 1820 to 1895.
His collection of work done with Karl Marx laid the groundwork for modern communism. Engels and Marx wrote and
published many articles and books together that attempted to expose the uneven distribution of wealth gained during
the Industrial Revolution.

7. THE CONTRIBUTION OF KARL MARX IN SOCIOLOGY
The Communist Manifesto- states that the history of all existing societies is the history of class struggle.
-they declare that the bourgeoisie or capitalists had successfully enslaved the working class or the
proletariat through economic policies and production of goods.
Das Capital- the ideology of a society such as the beliefs, values and culture is determined by the
upper class.
- the rich become richer and the poor become poorer

8. CORE IDEAS OF MARXISM
1. ClassConflict – also called as Class Struggle, it is the tension or antagonism in society.
a) Class- economic groups defined in terms of their relationship to the means of production.
-refers to the distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures.
b) Means of production- also called capital goods, these include raw materials, facilities, machinery and tools used in the
production of goods and services.
c) Two MajorEconomic classes:
OppressingClass- those that owns the means of production
OppressedClass- those that do not own the means of production but use the
means of production for the benefit of oppressing class

9. CORE IDEAS OF MARXISM
2. Bourgeoisievs. Proletariat
a) Bourgeoisie- (Oppressing Class), also called as the ruling class or the capitalist.
-those who own the means of production, control the process of production, buy labor power from proletariat, their
wealth depends on the work of proletariat and they exploit proletariat.
b) Proletariat- (Oppressed Class), also called the working class or labor class.
-individuals who sell their labor, add value to the products and do not own the means of production.
Exploitation- the action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work. Bourgeoisie exploit the
proletariat by using their labor to make goods that are sold for more than the proletariat is paid.

10. CORE IDEAS OF MARXISM
3. Alienation- the state or experience of being isolated from a group or an activity to which one should belong or in which one
should be involved.
Proletariat not only suffer because of exploitation, but also because the capitalist system causes them to experience
Three typesof Alienation:
a) AlienationfromSpecies-Being
b) Alienationfromtheirproduct
c) Alienationfromfellowworker
4. ClassConsciousness- collective realization that they are exploited and that must stop.
5. FalseConsciousness- in the absence of class consciousness workers suffers to this in which they cannot recognize their own
oppression.

11. TWO ECONOMIC MEANS OF PRODUCTION WITHIN A
SOCIETY
1. Base – engenders and controls all human institutions
and ideologies
2.Superstructure – all social and legal institutions, political
and educational systems, religions, and art.

12. TWO ECONOMIC
MEANS OF
PRODUCTION
WITHIN A
SOCIETY

13. THE CONFLICT THEORY CYCLE

14. STAGES OF MARXISM
1. Primitive Communism- as seen in cooperative tribal societies
-everyone would share in what was produced by hunting and gathering
2. Slave Society- when the tribe becomes a city-state. Aristocracy is born
-systematic exploitation of labor
3. Feudalism- Aristocracy is the ruling class and merchants develop into capitalists.-derived from the Latin word
feudum.
4. Capitalism- ruling class, who create and employ the true working class.
5. Socialism- achieved via class struggle and a proletarian revolution which represents the transitional stage between
capitalism and communism
6. Communism- a classless and stateless society

15. CLASS CONFLICT IN THE MODERN AGE (COMING
OF THE COMMUNIST REVOLUTION)
1. Individual members of the proletariat become angry and may clash with individual
members of the bourgeoisie or may destroy the means of production.
2. Proletariat develop class consciousness and come together as a class to realize their
shared interest in overthrowing capitalism.
3. Proletariat overthrow the bourgeoisie in a violent and inevitable revolution leading
the creation of a communist society.

16. ATTAINMENT OF COMMUNISM
1. But before long, the workers would learn to share everything equally- “from each according to his abilities,
to each according to his needs”-and live in government-less society. Karl Marx called this Communism, or
the Ultimate Classless Society.
2. After the workers rise and revolt violently (and overthrown the capitalists), they establish a temporary
Dictatorshipof the Proletariat.
• Dictatorshipof the Proletariat-is a state of affairs in which the working-class hold political power.
3. Goal of communismis to create a stateless, classless society. Communist thinkers believe this can happen if
the people take away the power of the bourgeoisie (the ruling class, who own the means of production) and
establish worker control of the means of production.