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Classical Sociological Theory, 4/e
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Karl Marx
Classical Sociological Theory

Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, students should be able to:
  • discuss the historical context of Marx's writing;
  • define and discuss the dialectic as a philosophical perspective, including how it differs from other approaches and how it focuses Marx's analysis;
  • elaborate on Marx's concept of human nature and its centrality to his criticism of capitalism;
  • discuss Marx's concept of labor and its role in capitalism;
  • identify the major contradictions that underlie capitalism and understand the role of contradiction in historical change;
  • define and relate Marx's forms of value;
  • define exploitation and competition, and describe their roles in the fall of capitalism;
  • identify and elaborate on the different ways in which the contradictions of capitalism are obscured;
  • define and discuss the notion of historical materialism, its explanation of social change, and its underlying concepts; and
  • describe and elaborate on the foundations and orientations of Marx's theory.