Tag: class struggle

Class Struggle

Class struggle, a core concept in Marxist-Leninist theory, refers to the ongoing conflict between different social classes with opposing interests. According to Karl Marx, society is divided into two main classes: the bourgeoisie, or capitalist class, which owns the means of production, and the proletariat, or working class, which sells its labor to survive. The interests of these two classes are fundamentally antagonistic and irreconcilable, with the bourgeoisie seeking to maximize profit through exploitation, while the proletariat seeks better conditions, wages, and ultimately the abolition of exploitation itself.

Marx believed that class struggle is the engine of historical change. As capitalism develops, the contradictions between these two classes deepen, leading to inevitable social upheavals. The proletariat, through collective action and class consciousness, will eventually overthrow the bourgeois state and seize control of the means of production, establishing a socialist society. This process, known as revolution, is the culmination of class struggle.

In a capitalist society, class struggle manifests in various forms: from strikes, protests, and labor movements to ideological battles over the nature of society, economics, and politics. Marxists view the resolution of class struggle through socialist revolution as necessary for creating a classless society, where the means of production are collectively owned and controlled, thus ending exploitation and inequality.