THE MARXIAN THEORY OF POLITICAL ECONOMY AND SOCIAL CLASS ANALYSIS

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According to Marxian political economy, “the mode of production of material life, determines the character of political process of life”. Simply put, the above statement is not unconnected with the book titled “Communist Manifesto” that was jointly written by Karl Marx and Fredrick Engel in 1932. Karl Marx argued that the history of human existence is essentially the history of class struggle between the rich (bourgeoisie) and the poor (proletariat), between the oppressor and the oppressed. Be that as it may, the mode of production refers to the techniques of production, social relation among individuals in the productive cycle and the means by which the means of production is acquired.

However, social class was reported to have thrown up two classes of people, but this cannot be hurriedly conclude without the pre-knowledge of social class. Therefore, social class refers to a group of people differing from each other in terms of their access and relation to the means of production. To that extent, social class include;

Ø  The economic class also known as the appropriation of labour or the “Haves” – they are in charge of the means of production.

Ø  The productive class or the “Have not” – they participate in the means of production.

Sequel to the above, the “Haves” are the economically dominant class who reproduce their dominance at the political level as the political dominant class. The “Have not” on the other hand are the economically subjugated class whose subjugation is reproduced at the political level as the political dominated class.

In conclusion, the Marxian political economists see class struggle as the struggle between the dominant class and the dominated class. In that instance, class relation is seen as political power relation, class struggle as political struggle, class consciousness as political consciousness and class conflict as political conflict.

                                                                                              OLAYIWOLA OLAMIDE 


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