Marx View of Capitalism

Marxist’s Meaning of Capital and its Implications

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Marxist’s Meaning of Capital and its Implications

Introduction

Karl Marx is a well known author of various philosophies of the societal justices. He stated in his work that, “Capital is a collective product, set in motion only by the united action of all members of society ... not a personal, but a social power.” In his view, if capital is done away with by the communists, then the proletariat, the workers or laborers, will be free from slavery and exploitation they currently experience from the bourgeois. Every person will be considered equal and there will be harmony and justice in the society. In addition to this there will be equity in access to resources as well as availability of abundant resource.

It is important to understand the terms that Marx uses before understanding his phrase. He uses the terms bourgeois and proletariat. Bourgeois refers to the middle class or those established in the society. They are capitalists, investors and businessmen who exploit the common people to get what they want. The latter refers to the poor workers or laborers struggling to make a living. They are subjected to harsh conditions including overworking hours just to impress capitalists for assured work. The difference in the social status is what the communists are against; this is why they want to bring this difference to an end by eradication capital.

When Marx stated that capital “is not a personal but a social power”, he meant that capital, which is a property owned by the bourgeois, is owned by the society, since it requires collection of people or members of the society to set it in motion and help maintain and develop its status. It, however, does not change its personal status since the owner is the one who still benefits at the end of the day (499). Marx explains that capital is a property that can only increase when the laborers are exploited. The term capital is also defined as the...