Marx and the Class Struggle: From the Manifesto to the Legacy in the 21st Century Karl Marx’s thought, immersed in the transformations of the 19th century and influenced by thinkers such as Hegel and Feuerbach, offers a structural critique of capitalism. His personal trajectory, marked by exile in London, paved the way for seminal works such as the “Communist Manifesto” and “Capital”, where the theory of historical materialism and surplus value gain precise contours. At the heart of his analysis, the class struggle emerges as the driving force of history. For Marx, the material relations of production shape society, divided mainly between the bourgeoisie, which owns the means of production, and the proletariat, which sells the labor force. This relationship, intrinsically exploitative, engenders a constant conflict, driven by the bourgeoisie’s search for profits and the proletariat’s struggle for better conditions. The belief in the class consciousness of the proletariat, capable of triggering a revolution to overthrow capitalism, culminates in the vision of a socialist society in transition to communism: a utopian state without classes, state or private property. Although the materialization of communism as a political system has proven to be flawed, the Marxist analysis of the contradictions of capitalism and social inequalities perpetuates its relevance. Class struggle, as the “engine of history”, drove social movements and political debates in the 20th century, and its nuances continue to be discussed in contemporary times, with different interpretations and criticisms of its applicability.
Posted inPodcast VirtualBooks