Karl Marx

Dialectical Materialism

A philosophical approach that emphasizes the importance of material conditions and socio-economic factors in shaping society and human consciousness.

Material Conditions

The physical and economic components of society, including resources, labor, and technology, that influence social relations and development.

Methodology of Marxism

The method used by Marx to analyze socio-economic systems, focusing on class struggle, historical development, and the impact of capitalism on society.

Class Struggle

The conflict between different classes in society, particularly between the bourgeoisie (capitalists) and the proletariat (workers), which Marx believed drives historical change.

Capitalism

An economic system characterized by private ownership of the means of production and the pursuit of profit, leading to class divisions and social relations based on labor exploitation.

Historical Materialism

The idea that history is determined by the material conditions of life, particularly the modes of production, and that societal development occurs through dialectical processes.

Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis

The dialectical process where an initial concept (thesis) is contradicted by an opposing idea (antithesis) leading to a resolution (synthesis), which then becomes the new thesis.

Superstructure

The cultural, ideological, and institutional aspects of society that arise from the economic base (the means of production) according to Marxist theory.

Base and Superstructure

The concept that the economic base of a society influences its superstructure, including culture, politics, and ideology.

Alienation

The separation of individuals from their human potential, resulting from living in a society structured by capitalism where workers have little control over their labor.