Karl Marx: A Sample Essay For Inspiration & Mimicking

The means of production defined by Karl Marx mainly comprises of capital invested, labor and land used. Labor consists of the physical and mental contributions made by workers in the production process. Land consists of natural resources used in production. Finally, capital is another means of production and it includes investment, factories, and machinery. Overall, the means of production available to a society includes physical elements, apart from human beings. Physical elements comprise of several materials such as natural resources, tools, machines, and offices. In addition, means of production also include distribution means such as the internet and the stores. Social stratification means that few groups in the society have greater social status, wealth and power than other groups. Throughout history, a small group out of the whole population has controlled the means of production (University of Houston, n.d).
According to Karl Marx, social stratification results from its direct relationship with some individuals holding the means of production. Marx claims that people who own means and process of production, such as factories make up the ruling class or the wealthy class, and they are called the bourgeoisie. Labour is another means of production that is controlled by a small section of the society. Labour that sells their efforts to the ruling class is called the proletariat. The proletariat sells their work to the ruling class as they need money for subsistence and survival. Marx claims that the bourgeoisie thrives on the efforts of the working class, whereas the proletariat struggles for survival. Under Marx ideology, the financial situation would only get worse with the passage of time and the society would end up becoming more stratified and the wealth gap will keep increasing (University of Houston, n.d).
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