Classical Marxism: The Foundation

Marx believed that capitalism shapes our entire world through its relentless need to expand and create profit. Think of it like this: everything in society stems from who controls the money and resources.

Society splits into two key parts: the economic base (how we produce and distribute goods) and the superstructure (everything else like politics, religion, and culture). The base controls the superstructure, meaning economic power determines what we believe and how society is organised.

This creates two main social classes: those who own businesses, factories, and land (the bourgeoisie), and those who must work for wages to survive (the proletariat). Throughout history, this pattern repeats - think slaves versus slave owners, or today's workers versus business owners.

Exploitation happens because workers create more value than they receive in wages. This extra value becomes profit for the owners, meaning workers never get the full worth of their labour.

Key Point: Marx saw this class conflict as the driving force behind all social change throughout history.