Class struggle
Also called: Class conflict · Topic: Equality and Social Justice · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Class struggle (or class conflict) is a central idea of Marxism. Karl Marx argued that history moves forward through conflict between classes. Classes are defined by whether people own the key resources of production, such as land and factories. Under capitalism, the struggle is between owners, called the bourgeoisie, and workers, called the proletariat. Marx predicted that it would end in a classless society. He set out these ideas in the Communist Manifesto, written with Engels (1848), and in Das Kapital (1867).
Example
In Marxist terms, factory owners keep profits while workers earn low wages, and this conflict of interests drives social change. Critics point to the authoritarian communist states that claimed to follow this idea. In India, Ram Manohar Lohia argued that it neglects caste and gender, which have their own roots.
Don't confuse with
- Socialism: socialism is a broader response to the inequalities of capitalism. It accepts markets with regulation and planning, and it does not require a class revolution.