Karl Marx argued that capitalism would inevitably lead to class conflict and revolution from "summary" of The Worldly Philosophers by Robert L. Heilbroner
Karl Marx, the revolutionary thinker of the 19th century, believed that capitalism was a system that would inevitably sow the seeds of its own destruction. According to Marx, capitalism was a system built on the exploitation of the working class by the bourgeoisie, or the capitalist class. The relentless pursuit of profit by the capitalists, Marx argued, would ultimately lead to a situation where the working class would be pushed to the brink of despair. As capitalism continued to grow and expand, Marx believed that the gap between the rich and the poor would widen, leading to heightened class conflict. The working class, who were forced to sell their labor for wages, would become increasingly discontented with their situation, while the capitalist class would become more entrenched in their power and wealth. This growing tension between the two classes, Marx predicted, would eventually erupt in a revolution that would topple the capitalist system. Marx saw capitalism as a system that was inherently unstable and unsustainable. He believed that the capitalist mode of production, with its focus on maximizing profits at the expense of the workers, would create conditions ripe for social upheaval. The exploitation and alienation experienced by the working class under capitalism, Marx argued, would eventually lead to a breaking point where the workers would rise up against their oppressors and seize control of the means of production. In Marx's view, the revolution would not only overthrow the capitalist class but also fundamentally transform society. The workers, once freed from the shackles of capitalism, would establish a new social order based on cooperation and equality. This new society, free from the constraints of capitalism, would be a truly classless society where the means of production were owned collectively by the people. Marx's ideas about capitalism, class conflict, and revolution were revolutionary in their time and continue to be influential to this day. His critique of capitalism as a system that inevitably leads to class conflict and revolution has shaped the thinking of generations of scholars and activists who seek to challenge the inequalities and injustices of the capitalist system.
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