Karl Marx: Capitalist Society and Class Struggle

Flashcards based on Karl Marx's analysis of the capitalist economic system, class struggle, alienation, and his vision of a classless society, along with his views on the role of political, legal, moral, and religious structures.

Capitalist Economic System (Marxist View)

An economic system characterized by a constant struggle between business owners (bourgeoisie) and workers (proletariat), where owners maximize profits by paying workers bare subsistence.

Bourgeoisie

The class of business owners in a capitalist economic system whose primary goal is to maximize their profits.

Proletariat

The class of workers in a capitalist economic system who depend on their labor for survival and are typically paid bare subsistence, leading to misery and resentment.

Class Struggle (Marxist Concept)

The inherent and constant conflict within capitalism between the bourgeoisie (owners) who seek higher profits and the proletariat (workers) who desire better pay for their labor.

Bare Subsistence

The minimal amount of payment workers receive in a capitalist system, just enough for them to survive, enabling business owners to maximize their profits.

Alienation of Labor (Marxist Concept)

The separation of workers from the product of their labor, the production process, and their creative potential, often due to repetitive tasks in advanced industrial production where they are mere 'pegs in a big wheel'.

Classless Society (Marxist Ideal)

The proposed solution to capitalist class struggle, aiming to eliminate the distinction and clashing interests between owners and workers, creating one class with shared interests and promoting cooperation over competition.

Means of Production

The resources and infrastructure, such as property and businesses, whose ownership, according to Marx, controls the political and legal processes in a society to serve the owners' interests.

Marx's Theory of State and Law

The view that political and legal systems are functions of and controlled by the prevailing economic system, serving the interests of the property-owning class (bourgeoisie).

Marx's View on Morality and Religion

The belief that morality and religion serve to reinforce the suppression of the working class by promoting doctrines like 'the Meek Shall Inherit the Earth,' thereby maintaining the power and dominance of the property owners.