Workers of the world, unite—right? Yeah, Marx is known for advocating for workers to overthrow capitalists, but that happens in the Communist Manifesto. In Das Kapital, he's all about diagnosing the power struggle between capitalists and workers in greater detail. If power means unjust control of others, there are plenty of examples of capitalists enforcing poor working conditions on laborers. At the same time, of course, power can also refer to the abilities of workers to build better lives for themselves.
Questions About Power
- What's the source of power for capitalists? What's the source of power for workers? What are the ways each side tries to gain ground from the other?
- What motivation do capitalists have for exercising unjust power over workers? How much does Marx blame them as individuals for their actions? If he blames impersonal systemic forces instead of individuals, why might he have bothered quoting individual capitalists in Chapter 10?
- Who was more powerful in 19th century Europe, capitalists or workers? Who's more powerful today? In what ways is either side weak?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Capitalists are more powerful than workers.
Workers are more powerful than capitalists.