Analyse the main strengths and weaknesses of Marx's sociological thought.

Marx saw societies as social systems which could be divided into two parts: the economic base and the superstructure. The economic base contained a particular mode of production as well as the economy and class relations. It is also the foundation upon which superstructures of political, legal, and social institutions are built. The economic base is also the basis of various forms of consciousness and knowledge.  According to Marx, political views and cultural ideas simply reflect economic divisions and struggles. Relating to the issue of exploitation, the economic base – the exploitative way it produces its goods – creates the superstructure – its non economic institutions and systems of belief.

“…the economic structure of society is the real basis on which the juridical and political superstructure is raised, and to which definite social forms of thought correspond.”Capital I, (1867) VA I, pp.87-8

Marx maintained that social systems developed over time as a result of contradictions that develop within their economies. Marx also argued that within these economies, class consciousness and conflict would develop and intensify therefore leading to a revolutionary breakthrough into another type of society. Marx’s materialism is therefore said to be a historical materialism. Historical materialism is a theory of the transition from one mode of production to another. (Fulcher&Scott, 2003, p30) For example, Marx suggested that Western Europe went from the slave owning systems of Ancient Greece and Rome, to the feudal societies of the medieval period Marx argued that it was in this feudal period that the emergence of capitalism began as feudal societies focused on the division between landowners and labourers who must work for the landlord as well as for themselves.

Marx claimed that in all societies other than communist ones, the production of goods is structured in a way so that great benefits are produced for a minority – the dominant class – at the expense of an exploited minority – the working class. The concept of exploitation is one of the main focuses of Marx’s works.

“That which is now…is no longer the labourer working for himself, but the capitalist exploiting many labourers.”  Capital I, (1867) VA, pp.801-4

One could argue that Marx’s argument of exploitation provides an outsider to observe and perhaps support him in his discussion of the exploitation in capitalism. This is because the presence of capitalism in a society is wrong and a society that tolerates it ought to be abolished. Exploitation also is able to provide those exploited to take individual or collective action against the system. This is the notion that Marx argues. Under capitalism the working class or proletariat (as known by Marx) produce goods for the benefit for the dominant owners of capital – the bourgeoisie.  This class exploits the labour of the proletariat by paying them wages that are lower than the market value of the goods they produce. Capital was seen as nothing more than hidden human labour following as a ‘dead’ result of the workers ‘live’ labour as said by Gregor McLennan (The Story of Sociology). Marx went on to state:

“Through alienated labour, therefore, man not only produces his relation to the object, and to the process of production, as alien and hostile men; he also produces the relation of other men to his production and his product, and the relation between himself and other men.”  EPM (1844) MEGA I /3, p.91

Leading on from exploitation, Marx further argues the concept of alienation.  Marx asserted that what singled out human beings from other species was our power to use our creative activity in order to influence our lives.  Work could therefore be seen as a result of human intellect provided it was not alienating. For Marx, the alienation of labour reached its worst during industrial capitalism because workers were set to work on machines which performed meaningless tasks that were part of a larger process.

Alienation was also seen between workers from the product of their own labour and from fellow workers. The creativity of the product itself has also been lost.  Marx argued that alienation was caused by capitalist economic relations as well labour being seen as a product which can be bought and sold. He further argued that therefore, cooperation of fellow workers is destroyed. For Marx, the solutions were firstly, to begin a new social organisation of production to end capitalist social relations. Social justice would become abundance and an end to exploitation. There should be an end to the rigid division of labour, especially between mental and physical work and everyone’s full potential of work should be developed.

Referring back to the concept of economic bases and superstructures, as said before, superstructures also determine systems of beliefs within a culture. A crucial aspect of the superstructural support for capitalism is that people are encouraged to hold ideas that uphold the system. Such systems of ideas are called ideologies. Marx argued that if his theory was rejected by the proletariat – those his theories were designed to liberate – it is because of ignorance brought on by dominant beliefs. This condition he called false consciousness. (Bilton, Bonnett, Jones etc, 2002, p.478)

However, Marx maintained that as social change requires meaningful action by those who gain consciousness through struggle, so too would one day the proletariat take advantage of his economic crises and break down capitalist and economic relations to begin to build socialism. The subordinate would gain power therefore class domination and exploitation would end. Capitalism has within it the seeds of its own destruction. (Bilton, Bonnett, Jones, etc 2002, p.478)  The more it evolves as a system, the more that capitalists seek ever-more efficient ways of gaining more profit. Therefore leading to conditions being created that will enable workers to see the truth about their lives. Marx stated:

“What the bourgeoisie, therefore, produces, above all, is its own gravediggers. Its fall and the victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable.” C.M, pp.67-68

Although class consciousness replacing false consciousness can only happen at a structural level, once it does occur, the action of overthrowing the capitalist system is taken by the proletariats as a collective force. As said by Marx:

“A social revolution has thus a universal aspect, because, though it may occur in only one manufacturing district, it is a human protest against an inhuman life.”

Marx has followers of his work (Marxists) yet there are those who oppose him and it is important to look at the criticisms as well as the strengths of his theories.

Marx focuses his attention not only at the well being at the subordinate class but also on the economic activity of the society. However, it could be argued that Marx puts so much emphasis on the economy as a separate area of social life and although this could be used when discussing capitalism, it does not hold as a strong argument when considering pre-capitalist modes of production. It is more difficult to distinguish between economic domination and military, political and ideological relations. Therefore, Marx would need to discuss relations between the economic, political and ideological aspects of social life under capitalism.

One could also claim that there is a complex relation between human action and the underlying social structures. Marx would argue that the causes of social occurrences lie at a level in which they cannot be seen by looking at individual events i.e. Marx was a realist. Although Marx makes it clear the material conditions that enable change, one could demand how the working class are able to take advantage of its historical opportunity.  We could question whether the revolutionary consciousness happens on its own or whether it is necessary to have the leadership of a political party to help guide the process. (Bilton, Bonnett, Jones etc, 2002, p481).

It could be easy to dismiss Marx’s analysis on capitalism as we are able to see that it has not only survived, but has developed into a global system. One could also argue that as a system begins to develop crises, rather than destruct, it could have adapted itself in order to survive. The state also has an influence because it is the state that provides help for example, introducing welfare provision therefore reducing social conflict. However, despite these criticisms, Marxism is still relevant in the world of today and can still provide us with some questions we ought to consider. We could question whether capitalism is the defining feature of modern societies? Or question whether class membership is an important factor in our lives? This shows that although we may not fully support his views, Marx’s ways of thinking at looking and analysing our society still has reference to the important questions we need to answer even today.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Karl Marx: Selected Writings in Sociology and Social Philosophy, Edited by Bottomore and Rubwl, Pelican books 1963

Essential writings of Karl Marx, selected by David Caute, Panther books LTD 1967

Jon Elster, Making sense of Marx, Cambridge University press 1985

C.Slaughter, Marxism and the class struggle, New Park Publications LTD 1975

Tony Bilton, Kevin Bonnett, Pip Jones etc.. Introductory Sociology 4th edition, Palgrave Macmillan 2002

Gregor McLennan, The Story of Sociology

Ken Morrison, Marx Durkheim Weber, Sage publications LTD 1995

Fulcher&Scott, Sociology 2nd edition, Oxford university press 2003

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