Marxism is a socioeconomic analysis method and political philosophy that is one of the greatest and most revolutionary intellectual systems of modernity. It was founded by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the nineteenth century and is heavily concerned with the materialist and dialectic understanding of history, or briefly, historical materialism. This method explains the formation of societies in terms of class relations, social conflict, and ultimate social transformation; Marxism, therefore, is a central force of political and social discourse throughout the world.
The Kernel of Marxist Philosophy
Essentially, Marxism tries to explain social phenomena by focusing on the material conditions and economic structures underlying human society. According to it, the mode of production—or the economic system of a society—necessarily fixes social relations, cultural ideologies, legal systems, and political institutions. Marx explained this relationship in terms of the “base and superstructure,” where the economic base determines and influences the nature of all the other elements in society.
According to Marx, as the productive forces, for example, technology, develop, the ways of production generally act as a drag on development. This is manifested as inefficiencies and contradictions in society that will culminate in periods of social revolution. Marx summarized it thus:
“At a certain stage of development, the material productive forces of society come into conflict with the existing relations of production. Then begins an era of social revolution.”
Class struggle, a continuous conflict between classes whose interests are opposed to one another, perhaps represents the most central conceptual hallmark of Marxism. This confrontation, under conditions of capitalism, pits the bourgeoisie against the proletariat—the owners of the means of production and the laboring majority that creates goods and services, respectively.
Capitalism, according to Marxists, in nature, is exploited by the proletariat. The system emanates a life of profit at the expense of human needs and, subsequently, social inequalities and general alienation. With this exploitation, Marx forecasted that it would drive the working class to revolt and eventually overthrow capitalism, replacing it with socialism—a system based on cooperative ownership and production for use rather than profit.
This Engels put eloquently, underlining that socialism would replace the structures of exploitation of capitalism with systems where collective well-being and subsistence of individuals are paramount:
“The capitalist mode of appropriation. is replaced by the mode of appropriation of the products that is based upon the nature of the modern means of production.”
Marxism’s Far-Reaching Influence
However, besides political movements, Marxism very strongly carved its impact in the circles of global academia, affecting such varied disciplines as anthropology, sociology, economics, literature, and even media studies. It provides insight into critical analysis with regard to power dynamics, inequalities, and the interaction of culture and economy. With this kind of flexibility in the approach, several schools emerged regarding the reinterpretation of Marxist principles in light of continuously evolving history.
Yet, there are debates even within Marxism. Terms like “dialectical materialism” and “historical materialism” were developed post-Marx and have been the subject of considerable debate among even self-proclaimed Marxists. This also shows the dynamism of the theory and its ability to transform with the shifting structures in society.
The Need for Change
Marxian economics therefore maintains that capitalism is unviable, both economically and socially. The system’s dependence on maintaining profit tends to result in wage repression, social inequalities, and economic crises. In accordance with the Marxian crisis theory, although socialism is not a certainty, it is an economic imperative for resolving the contradictions within capitalism and ensuring a fairer distribution of resources.
Marxism is a cornerstone of class struggle and social change analysis. Its perceptive analysis of material conditions, historical development, and class relations offers insightful understanding of the forces that are shaping our world. As its applications and interpretations continue to evolve, Marxism’s fundamental principles dare us to a future in which economic systems are designed to serve humanity, rather than exploit it.
The current living conditions of inequality, ecological crisis, and systemic reform have made Marxism one of the most important frameworks for the reimagination of social and economic life towards the creation of a more just and equal world.
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Writer
Fazlul Karim
Intern, Content Writing Department
YSSE