Karl Marx, a German philosopher, is known as the founder of communism. He was deeply concerned about miseries of the exploited working class and thus, carried on an intellectual battle against the exploiting class or capitalist class throughout his life. His theory of class conflict is the product of this intellectual battle which is reflected in the form of his ideas in his following works.

1. The Communist Manifesto published in 1848.
2. Das Capital (The Capital) published in 1867.

Class conflict theory can be summarized as follows: Karl Marx believed that at every stage in history, a particular class, that owned and controlled the means of production, exploited the other class who did not own means of production but had only their labour for production. This always resulted in a conflict between these two major competing economic interests or classes – one that owned means of production and the other that did not own the means of production. History is simply a story of war between these two classes. Capitalist society would be the last stage of this class conflict because the working class will revolt against the capitalist class which will result in the formation of a classless society – a society which will be free from oppression and exploitation.

Class conflict theory is explained in detail in terms of the following headings.

1. BACKGROUND
2. JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMATION OF CAPITALIST SOCIETY INTO CLASSLESS SOCIETY
3. Capitalist Society and Definition of Class
4. Exploitation of workers by capitalists
5. Pauperization of workers
6. Alienation of workers
7. Class consciousness and polarization of capitalist society
8. Revolution against the capitalist system
9. Formation of a classless society
10. Transformation of socialism into communism

In society, people have certain material needs. For instance, human beings must eat and drink; and obtain shelter and clothing to live. They engage in various activities to fulfil their material needs. This leads to the formation of a network of people serving the economic needs of one another which represent the economic structure of society. Marx looks at its broader picture and argues that the economic structure of society is based on two factors:

1. Means of production (e.g., tools, machinery, land, infrastructure, etc.)
2. Relations to production

Means of production refer to tools, machinery, land and other such equipments which are used to process raw material into usable products. Relations to production means the relation of a person to the final production. It simply means how much a person can get from the revenue of the production or how much a person can benefit from the production.

Based on the above two factors, Marx argued that in every stage in society, there were two major groups: a rich class and a poor class, the Haves and Have-nots, or the ruling class and the subject class. He explains this by reflecting on the various stages of society in history, as follows.

In primitive society, people had no feelings of accumulation of wealth. There was no private property and thus, production was collectively owned by the community. Everyone stood at an equal distance to production. Marx called it a primitive communist society.

In ancient society, there were masters and slaves. One group owned means of production and exploited the other. Masters received major revenue from the production whereas the slaves received very little, only enough for their survival.

In feudal society, there were landowners and peasants or serfs. Landowner owned the land; and the serfs cultivated these lands and grew crops on them. Landowners exploited the serfs by getting all the extra agricultural yield and giving very little to the serfs.

In a capitalist society, there are capitalists and laborers. Capitalists are the owners of factories and machinery. Laborers are the workers in these factories who are exploited by the capitalists.    

Marks believed that there is one common characteristic in all these stages which is the exploitation of one group by the other group. This exploitation caused conflict between the two groups in each stage and thus, resulted in the change from one stage to another (e.g., from ancient society to feudal society). The conflict between groups led to the emergence of a new stage when the existing stage could no longer serve their interests. History represents the story of the conflict between the groups and its resultant change from one stage to another. However, Marks believed that the capitalist society would be last the stage of class conflict because capitalist society will be transformed into a classless society – a communist society.

Marx used the concept of Dialectical Materialism to support his theory. His dialectical materialism is a modified version of Dialectical Idealism, a concept given by Hegel, a German philosopher. Dialectic literally means debate of contradictory ideas or confrontation of contradictory forces. Hegel believed that at every stage in history an idea emerged (thesis) which was challenged by another idea (antithesis) which led to the production of a new and different idea (synthesis). This synthesis later one served as 'thesis' and was again challenged by another 'antithesis' and led to production of 'synthesis'. Hegel believed that since ideas emerge from minds of people, they determine social existence of man. Therefore, in this way, the war of ideas moved on the wheel of history as new syntheses formed from time to time which determined social existence. Marks believed that material needs are more important than ideas and thus, use Hegelian concept in his own style as Dialectical Materialism which means that forces to material production emerge as thesis and antithesis and lead to the formation of new force of production (synthesis). He simply meant that at every stage in society, those who owned means of production emerged as thesis and were confronted by those who do not own means production (emerged as antithesis) and thus, this confrontation led to the formation of synthesis – a new economic order. Marks believed that this way the material forces moves on the wheel of history from one economic order to another economic order and would finally reach the classless society – where there will be no conflict.

1. Capitalist Society and Definition of Class

Marx was born in 1818. It was the beginning of the industrial revolution where the agrarian and rural societies in Europe and America started to become industrial and urban. This led to the formation of a capitalist society. Marx has closely observed the circumstances of workers of factories in his life, and thus, his ideas of class conflict majorly revolved around the conflict between factory owners and workers.

Marx defined the class as a group of people who share common relations to means of production.

He believed that those who own the means of production is one class, and those who do not own the means of production is another class (but have only their labor to be used in the process of production). Those who own and control means of production (e.g., owners of slaves, feudal owners, and factory owners) are the dominant class. Those who do not own the means of production (e.g., slaves, peasants or serfs, factory workers) are the subordinate class.

Marx argued that in capitalist society the two major classes are the capitalists class (factory owners) and the workers classes. He used the term bourgeoisies for those who own means of production – the dominant class; and the term proletariats for those who do not own means of production – subordinate class.

2. Exploitation of workers by capitalists

Marx believed that the relationship between the two classes is not only of dominance and subordination but also of exploitation. The workers produce more wealth in the form of goods, products, and services than that is necessary to meet their basic needs. In other words, they produce surplus wealth, but they do not enjoy the use of surplus wealth they have created. However, those who own the means of production are able to take this surplus wealth for their own use. The output in the form of wages, the workers receive, is lesser than the input they put in the form of their labour. This is the essence of exploitation which creates tensions and dissatisfaction between the two classes and is the main source of conflict between the two classes.

Marx believed that the economic structure of society also manifests in the other institutions of society such as law, religion, education and government. The capitalists, due to their dominant position, are able to control different institutions of society to protect their interests. This is because, the ownership and control of forces of production give capitalists political power. In other words, their political power stems from their economic power. They are sometimes themselves part of the political machinery or indirectly in a position to control the political machinery for their interests. Therefore, the political and legal spheres reflect their interests. For this reason, Marx named the political and legal power as the organized power of the capitalist class for oppressing the working class. According to Marx, the state is also part of the dominant class in society. Marx was pessimistic about the state and had contempt for its role. He considered the state as organized means of violence and exploitation which serves as an instrument of exploitation for the capitalists.

3. Pauperization of workers

Marks believed that since capitalists are able to seize the surplus wealth while workers cannot get more than what is merely needed for their survival. This creates an environment where the capitalists become rich and richer while the workers become poor and poorer over time. Marks used the term pauperization to refer to the way exploitation adds to the poverty of workers over time. 

4. Alienation of workers

Marks argued that this would lead to alienation among the workers. Alienation refers to a sense of powerless, isolation and meaningless experience when an individual is faced with oppressive circumstances and when they lack control over these circumstances. The capitalist system alienates the worker because he neither receives satisfaction from his work nor receives the full product of his work. He considers himself merely as a cog in a machine.

5. Class consciousness and polarization of capitalist society

This alienation and dissatisfaction would lead to the polarization of capitalist society into two classes the bourgeoisie and the proletariats – the capitalists and the working class. The workers will identify themselves as a separate class for themselves – as a class different from capitalist class. Marks called this phenomenon class consciousness. The workers will develop class conscious and their class solidarity will become stronger.

6. Revolution against capitalist system

Due to class consciousness and solidarity, the worker will be able to form unions and to stand together against the capitalists. They will start protesting the capitalists on a wide scale. This will be the start of the class struggle. When this struggle reaches its peak, a violent revolution will break out that will destroy the capitalist structure of society. This revolution is likely to take place at the peak of the economic crisis where there may be no option other than this.

Marx gave a clear call to the workers to unite and revolt against the capitalists to put an end to this exploitative system as he spoke in his own words “workers of the whole world unite, you have nothing to lose, but your chains, you have a world to win”.

Marks believed that this revolution is bound to happen because the growing poverty of worker over time would spark a successful revolution. It will result in termination of capitalist society.

7. Formation of a classless society

As a result of the revolution, the capitalists will cease to have power and they will be reduced to the rank of proletariats. It would result in the establishment of a classless society. There will be no classes and hence no conflict. The means of production would be publicly owned and not privately owned. It would be a society where nobody owns anything, but everybody owns everything. It would be a classless society free from all types of exploitation, oppression and anguish.

8. Transformation of socialism into communism

Marx believed that after revolution, the transformation of capitalist society into a completely classless society will be a two-phased process. In the first phase, the proletariats will seize and centralize all means of production and distribution. In this phase, labour will be paid according to the amount of work done. This would be a society based on socialism because everyone will contribute according to his ability and would be paid according to the amount of the work he will do. However, the ultimate goal of the revolution is establishing a society based on communism which means that everyone would participate in labor according to his ability and would get (earning) according to his need – a society based on economic justice.

Therefore, in the second stage, it will be ensured that the needs of the working class are protected by giving them socio-economic justice. In this way, socialism will transform into communism.

Everybody will participate in work according to his ability and would receive according to his need. Society would provide for all needs of its members. Everybody will have equal status in society and will stand in the same relation to the means of production.

The classless society is one in which all the major industries, commercial establishments, banks, transport and communication systems will be collectively owned, and their profit would be collectively shared. An increase in the production or wealth will never result in an increase in inequality but add to the prosperity of all. Medical, educational, commercial, banking, transport, communication and other facilities are made equally available for all. All landed property will be in ownership of the society and cultivation will be carried out on a cooperative basis. Their main motto will be “service” not “profit-making”.

According to Marks, the state has no place in such a society because the state serves as an instrument of exploitation because it protects the interests of exploiting class. It either becomes a dominant class itself that acts as new means of exploiting the oppressed class or is used as a tool by the exploiting class to exploit the oppressed class. Therefore, there is no place for the state in a classless society. A classless society is a stateless society. However, it does not mean that there will be disorder and disharmony in such a society. To maintain social control and harmony in such a society, groups of people will make voluntary associations. These voluntary associations will ensure that the rights and freedom of citizens are protected.

Marx believed that communism is the most sophisticated form of a classless society.