Karl Marx believed that class conflict was inevitable in a capitalist society. He believed that the conflict between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat would eventually lead to a revolution. The proletariat would seize power from the bourgeoisie, and then there would be a transition period during which the proletariat would rule and create a socialist society. Afterward, there would be a “withering away of the state” as class distinctions disappeared.
Marx argued that capitalism is based on the exploitation of workers by capitalists, who own the means of production. Workers must work long hours for low wages, while capitalists reap most of the profits from their labor. The workers’ only hope for a better life is to organize into a political party to fight for their interests. This conflict between workers and employers will inevitably lead to revolution, when workers seize power from their bosses and take control of the economy for themselves.
Philosopher also believed that capitalism was inherently unstable because of its exploitation of workers. He argued that capitalists would always seek to increase profits by paying workers less than what they produced, thus creating an antagonistic relationship between owners and workers. As this continued over time, he believed that workers’ living standards would continue to fall until they reached subsistence level—at which point they would revolt against their employers and take control of their workplaces through violent means if necessary.
In his Communist Manifesto (1848), Marx claimed that history consisted of class struggles between two opposing groups: those who owned property and those who did not own property but worked for wages instead (the working class). He believed these two classes were locked into an ongoing conflict where each side tried to gain more power over its opponent using various tactics such as propaganda and legislation.
