Karl Marx

1. Karl Marx
(1818-1883)
Preoccupation:
conflict as an agent
of social change

2. Focused our
attention
on great class
divides: between an
exploiting class and
an exploited class.
Karl Marx
(1818-1883)

3. The class divide centers around the….
means of production
the resources (land, tools, equipment, factories,
transportation, and labor) essential to the production
and distribution of goods and services.

4. Bourgeoise/Capitalist Class
Owners of the means of production/Purchase Labor
Primary interest: making a profit
This class survives and flourishes by “sucking blood of living
labor”
Proletariat/Working Class
Must sell labor to bourgeoise
Primary interest is increasing wages
Marx believed workers of world must unite
in opposition to the bourgeoise.
To maximize profit,
cut labor costs:
• invest in labor-saving
technologies,
• employ the lowest-
cost workers,
• find the cheapest
materials to make
products.

5. Great divide: those who own means of production (the mines and
equipment) vs. those who sell their labor to the mine owners.

6. Great divide: those who own means of production and equipment
(factory) vs. those who sell their labor to the factory owner

7. Great divide: those who
own means of production
(rubber plantations) vs.
those who “sell” their
labor to the plantation
owners

8. Great divide:
those who own
means of
production (fast
food
corporations) vs.
those who “sell”
their labor at
minimum wage

9. Great divide: those
who own means of
production (mining
corporations) vs. those
who “sell” their labor
at low wages

10. Great divide: those
who own means of
production
(corporations with call
centers) vs. those who
“sell” their labor