Question

1. Offer an explanation and critique of Marx's thought 2. In what ways are Marx's ideas similar to, or different than, Sartre's ideas? 3. What are the strengths and weaknesses of his position?

Answer 1

1. Marx believed in the concept that; the society of his time had two classes the capitalist i.e. the owner of industries and the exploited working class the proletariat class. Though Marx views were quite relevant in his times; when due to the industrial revolution these two classes had emerged and his theory was widely relevant. However, in the modern era, this theory lacks its universal appeal as the basis of stratification of the society today is not solely the ownership of the means of production there are other factors as well like; political influence; education etc    
2. Marx's ideas were similar to, Sartre's ideas in a way as; both believed that the societies can best understand as arenas of the struggle between powerful (the capitalist) and powerless groups (the labor class). However the difference between the two lies in the fact that; as an existentialist, Sartre believed in; the individual agency and moral responsibility. Thus according to him; for vast and apparently authorless social ills; individuals are personally responsible. Thus in contrast to Marx who claimed that only the capitalist class was the class that had ills and who exploited; Sartre talked about the moral responsibility of all individuals irrespective of class.
3. The strength of Max’ thought is that; indeed material domination in the world is the basis of the superiority of one individual over the other. However, the weakness is; that a blanket statement that all the people in the world who are among the so-called capitalist class are perverted and oppressors is not true and thus individuals in the working class can also be wrong at times and this has not been covered in his theory. Further, the sole basis of dividing the society into classes should not be materialism i.e. ownership of the means of production.