Marx Weber Social Class Analysis

This essay will outline the differences that arise in Karl Marx and Max Weber’s views on the sociological importance of the economy. This essay will go on to explain Marx and Weber’s views on social class and stratification and how they differ and will also state their difference in views regarding the division of labour. Finally, I will state my view on which theorist I believe is more thorough in their argument and who I agree with more. Firstly, however, I will give some information on both theorists’ backgrounds to give an insight to their work.
Karl Marx is a German communist theorist who believed that the mode of production was the catalyst that shaped society in history. His theory was that workers who lost control over their produce

Both theorists’ opinions differ when it comes to social class and stratification. Marx tends to focus on economic influences in social class and the mode of production. In Marx’s opinion, there are two classes; the ruling class (bourgeoisie) and the subject class (proletariat) (Haralambos, M. 2004). Marsh, Keating, Punch and Harden (2009) stated that these classes shared different interests and because of this, Marx saw them as social classes. Marx argues that during capitalism, the Bourgeoisie exploits the Proletariats by selling their products at a value much greater than the amount it cost to produce and paying the workers a wage that is far below the value of the products made. This is also known as ‘surplus value’. Marx argues that ‘surplus value’ exploits the working class as the capital produce nothing yet receive the majority of the money. He believes that the economy as a whole is associated with the bourgeoisie and believes that the state tend to care for their interests rather than the proletariats (Giddens, A. 2006). Marx’s theory was that the proletariats would eventually become “fed up” of bourgeois exploitation and organise themselves to pursue an improved economic situation (Marsh et al, 2009). For Marx, class division was vital in defining social class, however, Weber tended to