Karl Marx and Max Weber

Karl Marx and Max Weber were economists. Although Emile Durkheim and Max Weber are the founders of the modern theory of sociology, Karl Marx's views on society had a profound impact on the evolution of modern sociology. There are many differences in Marx's and Weber's interpretation of capitalism and their perception of society in general.

Karl Marx's books such as: 'Capital, the Communist Manifesto and other Writings', 'The Poverty of Philosophy' and 'A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy', were published nearly a century after they were scripted. These books bear testimony to his beliefs. In his book, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, he examined the concept of materialism and capitalism.

According to Marx the development of capitalism was a gradual process. Its origins could be traced back to the time when man lived a nomadic existence. Gradually man evolved and started organizing himself into small family units. It was during this period that agriculture gained importance and inequalities started surfacing. Man who previously had no possessions started laying claim to land depending on his need and his means to cultivate. This led to the emergence of a feudal system that encouraged people to either own land or be exploited by the feudal lords. The feudal system resulted in the offspring owning land on account of being born into a wealthy family. The merchant class was yet to assume importance since the landlords were all-powerful. Then came the transfer of power from the feudal lords to the merchants who by then had migrated to the towns from the villages and had started assuming ownership of the means of production. Capitalism had gained its roots and in time it grew from strength to strength. It resulted
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