#1
Which term did Karl Marx use to describe the working class in capitalist society?
Proletariat
ExplanationThe term Marx used for the working class under capitalism.
#2
What did Marx describe as the 'opiate of the masses'?
Religion
ExplanationMarx's characterization of religion as a pacifying influence on the masses.
#3
Which economic concept refers to the ownership and control of the means of production by private individuals or corporations?
Capitalism
ExplanationThe economic system where means of production are privately owned and controlled.
#4
What does Marx mean by the term 'commodity fetishism'?
The tendency to attribute mystical qualities to commodities and ignore their social relations
ExplanationThe phenomenon where commodities are imbued with mystical qualities, obscuring their social significance.
#5
In Marx's theory, what is the 'means of production'?
The tools and raw materials used in the production process
ExplanationThe elements involved in production, including tools and materials, as defined by Marx.
#6
What did Marx argue about the nature of capitalist crises?
They are inevitable and result from overproduction.
ExplanationMarx's contention that crises in capitalism are unavoidable and stem from excessive production.
#7
What is the central idea behind Karl Marx's theory of alienation?
Workers are disconnected from the products of their labor and their true essence as humans.
ExplanationThe essence of Marx's theory highlighting worker's detachment from labor outcomes and their human essence.
#8
According to Marx, what is the main source of value in a capitalist economy?
Labor
ExplanationMarx's assertion that labor is the primary source of value in capitalism.
#9
What is the term Marx used to describe the process by which capitalists extract surplus value from workers?
Exploitation
ExplanationMarx's term for the process where capitalists derive surplus value from workers' labor.
#10
According to Marx, what is the ultimate outcome of the class struggle in capitalism?
Classless society
ExplanationMarx's vision of a society devoid of class distinctions resulting from the resolution of class struggle.
#11
According to Marx, what drives historical change?
Conflict between social classes
ExplanationMarx's assertion that historical progression is propelled by conflicts among social classes.
#12
What does Marx mean by 'class consciousness'?
The recognition among the working class of their shared interests and collective identity
ExplanationThe awareness within the working class of their common interests and identity.
#13
In Marx's critique of capitalism, what role does ideology play?
Ideology serves to maintain the status quo and perpetuate the interests of the ruling class.
ExplanationIdeology's function in Marx's critique: upholding the ruling class's status quo and interests.
#14
What did Marx mean by the term 'surplus value'?
The extra value produced by workers that goes to the capitalist as profit.
ExplanationThe additional value created by workers beyond their wages, accruing to the capitalist as profit.
#15
What does Marx argue about the role of the state in capitalist society?
The state serves as a tool of the ruling class to maintain control over the means of production.
ExplanationMarx's contention regarding the state's role in serving the ruling class's interests in controlling production.
#16
How did Marx view the role of religion in society?
As an opiate that pacifies the masses
ExplanationMarx's perspective on religion as a tranquilizer for the masses.
#17
What did Marx mean by the term 'dictatorship of the proletariat'?
A transitional stage between capitalism and communism where the working class holds political power
ExplanationThe phase in Marx's model where the working class temporarily holds political authority en route to communism.
#18
How did Marx characterize the relationship between the base and superstructure in society?
The base determines the superstructure, including culture, politics, and ideology.
ExplanationMarx's portrayal of the base's influence on the superstructure, encompassing cultural, political, and ideological realms.