A system of economic and political thought, originated by Karl Marx, and elaborated by others. It holds that the state has been the a device for suppression of the masses, allowing exploitation by a dominant (capitalistic) class; that historical change occurs through class struggle; and that the capitalist system will inevitably wither away to be superseded by a classless society.
arxism is the system of Marx's views and teachings. Marx was the genius who continued and consummated the three main ideological currents of the 19th century, as represented by the three most advanced countries of mankind: classical German philosophy, classical English political economy, and French socialism combined with French revolutionary doctrines in general. Acknowledged even by his opponents, the remarkable consistency and integrity of Marx's views, whose totality constitutes modern materialism and modern scientific socialism, as the theory and program of the working-class movement in all the civilized countries of the world.
the philosophical and sociological approach of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and their followers. History is seen as basically a series of class struggles, with classes being defined in terms of their relation to the means of production. He viewed the struggle of workers as a continuation of historical forces that would one day lead to communism. This would occur in three stages. The first stage was capitalism, in which the proletariat (workers) are exploited by capitalists (business owners). The second stage would be socialism, or a "dictatorship of the proletariat." Marx envisioned that this stage would be brief. In the final stage -- communism -- society would become so classless and collectivist that the formal state would wither away, and society could spontaneously operate as a collective whole without government.
A socialist idealogy (named for Karl Marx) that provided the underpinnings for communism in the USSR and Cuba. The MPLA adopted a Marxist position for several decades.
from the works of Karl Marx - the study of society as the conflict or struggle of social classes
The political and economic theories of the German philosopher Karl Marx (1818-1883), who predicted the revolutionary overthrow of capitalism by the lower and working classes and the eventual attainment of a classless communist society.
the economic and political theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that hold that human actions and institutions are economically determined and that class struggle is needed to create historical change and that capitalism will untimately be superseded by communism
the philosophy of Karl Marx, best defined as "dialectical materialism."
A school of though based on writings of German Socialist thinker Karl Marx. Among its main tenets are the ideas that class struggle is the central element of Western culture, that a capitalist thrives by exploiting the labor of a working class, and that workers must struggle to overcome their capitalist exploiters through revolution and thereafter establish a socialist society in which private property does not exist and all people have collective control of the means of production and distribution.
The system of thought developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, esp. the doctrines that class struggle has been the main agency of historical change and that capitalism will inevitably be superseded by a socialist order and classless society.
A philosophy based on the work of political economist Karl Marx (1818–1883) and from which socialism and communism are derived. Marxist political thought focuses on the relationships between economic resources, power, and ideology, with the goal of redistributing resources equitably.
a political and economic theory developed by Karl Marx and Frederick Engles that called for the abolition of private property and emphasised the role of the state in providing work and benefits for all leading eventually to a socialist order and a classless society
The theory that history has been characterized by a struggle between the working classes and their masters, the middle-class capitalists. The outcome of struggle is to be an uprising of the oppressed and the overthrow of capitalism. In part, this belief was shared by John C. Calhoun, who feared that the growth of industrial capitalism in America would lead to just such a class struggle.
An interpretation of history and political economy inspired by, and largely based on, the ideas of Karl Marx. In Marxist theory, society moves through a definite sequence of economic stages, from feudalism to capitalism, then by revolution moving into socialism, and finally evolving into pure communism.
A doctrine originally based on the ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. This ideology is a complex concept that deals most directly with economic modes of production but has been extended to almost every political and social domain. Marxism describes existing institutions of private ownership and capitalism as exploiting the working classes and predicts the decline of capitalism and the emergence of communal ownership and some form of worker control. Marxism formed the basis for Communism in the 20th century.
Marxism refers to the philosophy and social theory based on Karl Marx's work on one hand, and to the political practice based on Marxist theory on the other hand (namely, parts of the First International during Marx's time, communist parties and later states). Marxism describes the race towards communism in a number of stages, the first stage being feudalism, followed by capitalism and socialism, and the final stage being communism. Marx, a 19th century socialist philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, often in collaboration with Friedrich Engels, developed a critique of society which he claimed was both scientific and revolutionary.