Why Is Marx Considered to Be a Sociologist - Essay Example

Name Course Instructor Date 'Why is Marx considered to be a sociologist? Does Marxist theory hold any relevance for contemporary society? Sociology is viewed to be the cannon of thoughts and ideas stretching way back into the 19th century. Sociology thinkers are dependent on any form of influence and are not spontaneous. Karl Marx (1818-1883) is considered to be one of the most important sociological thinkers of the 19th century. Although, he never referred himself as a sociologist it is quite evident that his work and developments are very rich in different sociological insights (Martin1998: 35). Due to these sociological insights, Marx is regarded as one of the original as well as profound social thinkers. Marx believed that the role of a social scientist was not only to describe the world but rather to change it appropriately through their thinking. Mainly, his contribution to sociological involved understanding social conflict and the inevitability of revolution as opposed to others such as Spencer who saw social accord and inevitability of progress. Marx further believed that historical crises and struggles would only end when ruling exploiters are overthrown and the establishment of both harmonious and free classless society (Martin1998: 35). Marx can be referred to be a sociologist due to the fact that he placed much emphasis on the societal economic base which largely influenced both the social and cultural structures across the globe. This paper aims at discussing why Marx is considered to be a sociologist. Further, the paper will discuss the relevance of the Marxists theory for the contemporary society. The paper will discuss the Marxism theory in relation to the various sociological perspectives so as to create an argument that Marx is a sociologist. Martin (1998: 35) maintains that, Marx is a sociologist since his ideologists have largely contributed to the comprehensive universal understanding of the social world. Through his different theories, Marx has provided theoretical insights necessary to attract the mystification surrounding capitalism and therefore providing the vision required to mobilize people for struggle. According to Martin (1998: 35), Karl vision was largely embedded on an evolutionary point of departure. The vision was derived from the fact that societies largely comprised of moving balances of forces that are antithetical that normally generate social change through their struggle and tension. Being a sociologist, Marx believed that the basis of social order in every society was the production of economic goods. Here, Marx focused on what was being produced, how it was produced and how it exchanged largely determined the differences in people power, wealth as well as social status (Martin1998: 35). His contribution to sociology was anchored on his believe that the entire social system is largely based on the way both men and women related to one another in their struggle to a better livelihood. Like other founders of sociology, Marx believed in examining the parts in relation to one another and relation to the entire. Marx believed that artistic, legal, political and philosophical development all depended on the economic dialect but they all reacted on one another and upon the economic base. It is further evident that the influence of Marx ideas in the sociology field has been significantly enormous. According to Knapp (1994: 228), Marx continues to shape social thinking on various contemporary issues. Marx as a sociologist has created various analytical traditional social theory of vital that have enabled individuals in understanding the possibilities and dilemmas of social reproduction and change especially in the contemporary society. Sociology is defined as the study of human social institution and relationship. And from this definition it is correct to state that Karl Marx was a sociologist. According to Knapp (1994: 230), Karl is involved in studying and analyzing the class conflict as well as struggle that occurs because of the economic organization of most societies. According to Marx, both struggle and class conflicts in societies are inevitable since the interest of both the workers and capitalists is different from each other. This is because capitalist make their wealth through exploiting workers while workers maintain their well being through resisting capitalists exploitation. From a sociologist point of view, Mars regarded satisfaction of work as being a very essential for human emotional welfare (Knapp 1994: 231). Further, Marx has placed emphasis on the sociology dimension particularly in the nature of social structures within a given capitalist society, relationship between action and structure and finally, the idea of human agency in Marxists theory formulation and its wide relationship to ideology and consciousness. According to Knapp (1994: 232), Marx is considered to be a sociologist due to the fact that he uses his theories to define how society works. As opposed to many functionalists’ base their model of society based on the assumption of basic needs and explains how the different part of societies assists in meeting these needs, Marx see a society resting upon an economic base. The society is divided into various social classes base on their races, tribes, religion and wealth and these classes have a great potential of being in conflict with one another. Sociological perspectives with focus on Marx’s work largely base their analysis on an examination of the entire society. John (1990: 37-38) maintain that, within a given societal study, Marx bases his discussion on economic, sociological and revolutionary structure of social change that continued to influence individuals across the globe. Clearly, the work of any sociologists in their different views is to interpret, describe as well as understand the subjective realities. Like Marx’s, sociologists see the social world to consist both the categorization as well as definitions of members within the society. John (1990: 37-38) maintain that, Marx was involved in putting emphasis on the lack of fit existing between the different social classes not forgetting the social conflict may arise. Marx can be considered as a sociologist that gave pride of place to society alongside but distinct from economy and state (The Modern World-System 1980). Over years, there have been numerous debates between both the critics and advocates of Marxist theory on the relevance of Marxists theory for the contemporary society. It is clear that Marx’s proposed his idea for the constantly industrializing world of the 19th century. Nevertheless, it is very important to understand whether these ideas can be applied in the 21st century modern society economic and social conditions. John (1990: 37-38) maintain that, it is quite evident that Marx’s theory is one theory that can be applied in the contemporary society since the current prevailing situations have not change and thus the theory hold substance. However, both on the political and economic realm, the contemporary society of the 21st century are different to that of Marx’s age and day(The Modern World-System 1980). In the contemporary society, there are more social classes compared to what had been discussed in the Marxism theory. According to Calhoun (2002: 13-17), Marxism theory focuses on two main theories namely; proletariat and bourgeois. With the contemporary society economic changes and proliferation in the universal economic structures, various new social classes have significantly emerged such as the middle classes that have not be explained by Marxists theory. By the time the middle class of the contemporary society in the 21st century was to emerge, Marx thought that both the class distinction and bourgeois would be profound. Nevertheless, the contemporary society is experiencing a strong middle which is considered to be the main force behind the economic process. This can be considered as the main drawback of the Marxists theory in the contemporary society (The Modern World-System 1980). According to Calhoun (2002: 13-17), in Marxism theory, one of his fundamental assertions is that the social class structure is too rigid to be broken by people but rather to be transformed by the different revolutions. In the contemporary society, this assertion is not relevant due to the emergence of various new avenues that can be used in generating incoming for the working class. According to Calhoun (2002: 13-17), it is quite evident with the rise of sole entrepreneurs and e-businesses, Marxists theory can be considered to be obsolete. Further, Marxists’ theory indicated that economic crises could only take place only when the whole system crumbled down. The theory maintained that finances would never lack due to the fact that the institutions that form the whole economic system could never fail. Nevertheless, the recent global economic downturn saw individual companies going bankrupt one after the other. The collapse of financial institution created an effect known as domino resulting to the collapse of the whole economic system (The Modern World-System 1980). According to Calhoun (2002: 13-17), Marx theory of social change indicates that without the services provided by the labour class no significant production could be achieved. In his theory, Marx was of the view that for the capitalists’ class or bourgeois to make money, they required the services of the working class. Nevertheless, in the contemporary society, many people from the capitalists’ social class have ventured into entrepreneurship which does not require any kind of involvement from the working class. It is therefore evident that the biggest blow of the Marxists theory in contemporary society has been the recent unexpected stability of capitalism. As both political and economic system, capitalism continues to be much flexible and flexible compared to what Marx had maintained. Therefore, the advert of communism does not appear imminent in the contemporary society. In conclusion despite the emergence of neo-Marxist it is clear that that the Marxist theory is not relevant in the contemporary world. Work Cited Calhoun, J. (2002). Classical Sociological Theory. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. pg 13-17 John, B. (1990). Ideology and modern culture: critical social theory in the era of mass communication. Stanford University Press. pp. 37–38. Knapp, P. (1994). One World – Many Worlds: Contemporary Sociological Theory (2nd Ed.). Harpercollins College Div, pp. 228–246 Martin, M. (1998). Marx and Engels, The Communist Manifesto, Penguin, New York: Penguin group, pg. 35 The Modern World-System (1980). Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the European World-Economy in the Sixteenth Century. New York: Academic Press. 1980. The Modern World-System II: Mercantilism and the Consolidation of the European World-Economy, 1600-1750. New York: Academic Press Read More