The working class refers to the social class of wage-earning workers, particularly those engaged in manual or industrial labor, who do not own the means of production. This term is central to the understanding of political ideologies that reject traditional political ideology, such as Scientific Socialism, Burkeanism, and Religious Extremism.
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The working class is a central concept in Marxist theory, which views the class struggle between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie as the driving force of social change.
Scientific Socialism, as advocated by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, aimed to emancipate the working class from capitalist exploitation through a revolutionary overthrow of the bourgeois state.
Burkeanism, a conservative political philosophy, emphasizes the importance of tradition, hierarchy, and organic social development, which can be seen as opposing the working class-based revolutionary change proposed by Scientific Socialism.
Religious Extremism, such as certain forms of Islamic fundamentalism, can reject traditional political ideologies in favor of a theocratic vision that may or may not align with the interests of the working class.
The political mobilization and organization of the working class has been a key goal of many socialist and communist movements throughout history.
Review Questions
Explain how the concept of the working class is central to the understanding of Scientific Socialism.
In Marxist theory, the working class or proletariat is the revolutionary class that will overthrow the capitalist system and establish a socialist society. Scientific Socialism, as developed by Marx and Engels, views the class struggle between the exploited working class and the exploitative bourgeoisie as the driving force of historical change. The emancipation of the working class from capitalist exploitation is the ultimate goal of Scientific Socialism, which seeks to establish a classless society through the collective action and political mobilization of the proletariat.
Analyze how the conservative political philosophy of Burkeanism might view the working class and its role in social change.
Burkeanism, as a political ideology that emphasizes tradition, hierarchy, and organic social development, would likely be skeptical of the working class-based revolutionary change proposed by Scientific Socialism. Burkean thinkers would likely see the working class as a source of instability and potential upheaval, and would instead advocate for a gradual, evolutionary approach to social change that preserves existing social structures and institutions. Burkeanism's emphasis on the importance of traditional authority and established social hierarchies would likely lead it to view the working class as a threat to the established order, rather than as a transformative force for social progress.
Evaluate how the interests of the working class might be addressed or overlooked in the context of Religious Extremism.
Religious Extremism, such as certain forms of Islamic fundamentalism, can reject traditional political ideologies in favor of a theocratic vision that may or may not align with the interests of the working class. Depending on the specific beliefs and goals of the religious extremist movement, the working class may be either championed as a key constituency or marginalized in favor of a more narrow, ideological agenda. Some religious extremist movements may seek to mobilize the working class in support of their vision, while others may view the working class as a threat to their theocratic aspirations. Ultimately, the relationship between Religious Extremism and the working class is complex and context-dependent, and may involve both alignment and conflict with the interests of this social class.
The proletariat is the social class of wage-earning workers, especially those who labor in industrial production, whose only possession of significant economic value is their labor.
The bourgeoisie is the social class that consists of the middle class, who derive their income and wealth from capital, rather than from labor.
Class Consciousness: Class consciousness is the awareness of one's social class and its interests, which can lead to collective action to further those interests.