'Replace capitalism with something nice’: The (continued) influence of Marx in the twenty-first century

The Marxist model of society is based upon inequality between classes, generated by economic motives. This paper examines the contribution made by Karl Marx’s model of social stratification (as outlined in his ‘Communist Manifesto’), and how this model enacts social change through class struggle. Specifically, it looks at Marx’s model of Capitalist society, and assesses what concepts remain relevant in the twenty-first century. While lauded for being too reductionist and ignoring other non-economic motives, critics have failed to discredit Marx’s theory entirely, and certain observations have become much more relevant with respect to the recent global economic meltdown. The paper concludes that, though it is far from being foolproof, Marx’s model of social inequality is dynamic enough to survive in the current century.