preview

Conflict Theory Of Karl Marx And Max Web

Decent Essays

A comparative study on the Conflict theory of Karl Marx and Max Web

By: Pujan Jung Gurung Institute of Crisis Management Roll no: 5

A Report Submitted to:
Mr. Craig Walker
Institute of Crisis Management Studies
Tribhuwan University

21st July, 2014

Karl Marx (1818-1883) sees power in society as a main starting point of conflict. Marx gave his ideas on human potential, the historical methods, class conflict, class consciousness and communism. Marx demanded everyone to attain their full potential. Where he considered the capitalism as an economic system aimed to keep power …show more content…

He too believed social division is based on two other factors; social status and political influence. Both the elements without economic strength can possess power in society. For instances Mother Teresa, Gandhi who had a great deal of social prestige but were economically poor could hold power in society. Similarly, a local politician earning an average salary probably can hold a great deal of power in the community. In addition to this social groups would identify themselves not only according to wealth, but more deeply by ethnic and cultural background and by shared style of life. The possession of power is central element in conflict theory, and has occupied central space in Weber’s work on the type of authority. He has defined power as the ability to impose one’s will on another, even when the other resists. Authority is legitimate power which is exercised with the consent of the ruled. According to him distribution of power and authority is the basis of social conflict. He stated that power is essential tied with to the personality of individual and authority is always associated with social positions. Also stated power just a factual relation, authority a legitimate relation of domination and

Get Access