Answer to Question 1
a
Answer to Question 2
German economist and philosopher Karl Marx stressed that history is a
continuous clash between conflicting ideas and forces. He believed that
conflictespecially class conflictis necessary in order to produce
social change and a better society. Class conflict is the struggle between
the capitalist class and the working class. The capitalist class, or
bourgeoisie, comprises those who own and control the means of
productionthe tools, land, factories, and money for investment that form
the economic basis of a society. The working class, or proletariat, is
composed of those who must sell their labor because they have no other
means to earn a livelihood. The capitalist class controls and exploits the
masses of struggling workers by paying less than the value of their labor.
This exploitation results in worker's alienationa feeling of
powerlessness and estrangement from other people and from
themselves. Marx predicted that the working class would become aware
of its exploitation, overthrow the capitalists, and establish a free and
classless society.