Marx’s thinking developed a concept of thought that human superiority over other organisms had nothing to do with pure natural selection since every organism is going to have a will of self-preservation. But rather it was that in the human species that we have the ability to use reason to create and construct the world in which we live via producing the requisite needs necessary for our existence over and over again. According to Marx, “it is only through creative production that human consciousness is created as people see the humanity in the world that has been economically produced. False consciousness and ideology increase as humans fail to receive the intrinsic link to production. (pg. 66)
As an economic determinist he believed economic structure is the powerful force driving human existence and behavior. Consciousness is ascertained via our social relationships and interaction which is based on how we labor and produce material goods. Therefore Marx believed the type of society we have is based on how the means of production within society is established Example Slavery or Capitalism.
His assumptions on ontology that result in the concept of material dialectic using Capitalism as the example lets me understand that ideology comes from the material force that it represents. Example under capitalism learned behavior provided by the power of super-structures of social institutions. It is seen as antagonistic because I have been taught that Capitalism is the only viable system that can unify and bring equality to society and that I should never ever consider any other option as viable. Yet my sociological imagination tells me capitalism and the distribution of wealth or the lack thereof causes class stratification, racism discrimination and exploits the working class.
What causes class struggle and conflict is the rebellion for change in power structure. We gain social consciousness when we realize we are being exploited and oppressed and fight for change this according to Marxist theory should produce new economic systems and change.
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