Karl Marx’s Critique of Capitalism and Class Conflict
Karl Marx’s Philosophy: A Critical Analysis
Marx’s thought originates from a critical perspective on the established reality of his time: the economic system of capitalism, the political system of liberalism, and the social system defined by the antagonism between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Marx proposed a materialist conception of history, a theory that explains history through the development of productive forces, emphasizing the role of labor.
Human Nature and Labor
For Marx, the real human being is a being with needs, primarily concerned with their own survival. The activity aimed at addressing these needs is work, or productive activity. This is the most important aspect, but not the only one. To understand what humanity is, it’s necessary to analyze the conditions under which work develops. Furthermore, the natural human condition is a social one. This means that understanding humanity requires understanding the society in which it operates. Therefore, what determines a human being at any given moment in history is their productive activity and their social activity (how they relate to other people).
Historical Development and Socio-Economic Formations
History demonstrates that both activities have varied across different human groups and have changed over time. Marx believed that human societies (from feudal to capitalist) have progressed through different stages of development, which he called socio-economic formations. These formations are composed of two key elements:
- Economic Structure: Also known as the mode of production, this is the result of the relationship between the productive forces and the relations of production. These are the economic conditions under which people engage in the production process.
- Ideological Superstructure: This encompasses the social consciousness and includes all non-economic factors (politics, art, philosophy, etc.).
Marx argued that the economic structure of society determines the ideological superstructure that arises from it.
Capitalism, Alienation, and Class Struggle
Under capitalism, humans are reduced to “economic beings.” The relationship that defines their place in society is determined by their work, and that relationship depends on whether or not they possess the means of production. This difference creates social inequalities. For Marx, this difference is the essential factor explaining the dialectic of social classes:
- Bourgeoisie: Capitalists who own the means of production.
- Proletariat: Workers who only possess their labor power, which they sell to capitalists in exchange for a wage to survive.
Marx argued that capitalist society alienates the worker by treating them as a reified object. Alienation is the loss of something that belongs to oneself, which ends up in the hands of another. In the capitalist system, Marx believed workers lose:
- Their labor power, due to endless workdays.
- The product of their labor, which they cannot see, appreciate, or enjoy.
- Their own existence, as their activity is reduced to mere survival through work.
Marx stated that the ruling class conceals alienation by presenting a false image of reality.
Revolution and the Path to Communism
For these reasons, Marx advocated for struggle and revolutionary action to end the alienation of humanity. Marxist morality requires fighting to achieve the emancipation of all people and eliminate class differences, creating a world of equal human beings. This change is achieved by the proletariat removing property from the bourgeoisie and placing it in the hands of the community. Once power is achieved, there will be a transition from a capitalist state to a proletarian state, the “dictatorship of the proletariat.” This is a transitional stage leading to a state that administers assets: the communist state.