Exam Question
Part One: Identification and Analysis
- Maxx made this quotation, and it mainly focused on the struggle that is present between various classes in society. In society, there are multiple classes, and one of them is the ruling class. The ruling class has a lot of powered compared to other classes. For example, when there is a struggle to make a certain idea of the ruling class is the one chosen. These issues led Max to say, “The ruling idea of each age has always been within the ruling class.” This statement is true because people from other classes do not have a chance to give their ideas on the ruling. Therefore, the ruling class will always be ones coming up with how to rule.
- The second quotation was made by Webb’s, whereby he believes that communal action is mainly focused on helping the people that live together. On the other hand, Webb believes that certain interests usually motivate societal action. Furthermore, he claims that taking part in societal as well as communal action is a universal phenomenon done in various parts.
Webb’s claims that the issue of class affects how goods are consumed. The different classes have been divided regarding their production as well as the consumption of various goods. Therefore, individuals who come from a high social class are more likely to get a high quality of goods, which reflects their high lifestyle.
- Mills believes that a dollar is a dollar. In his quote, he tries to assert that from the view of classes, money is just money with so much consideration of how it was found. However, concerning the view of a pedigreed society, there are two sums of money. The first one is the one that has been acquired from previous generations through inheritance. The second sum of money is the one that is gained from making great sales in the market.
Mills claims that people who are privileged in life believe themselves to be just privileged. Most of these people feel that they are worthy of anything that they possess because they are advantaged. Furthermore, these individuals see themselves to be naturally elite and that their possessions, as well as their privileges, are an extension of their elite selves.
Furthermore, Mills believes that word has so much influence as they can help to win war or sell soap. The use of correct words in various situations can make a person convince other people to do something or move towards a certain direction. However, the cost is the primary factor limits how public opinion is delivered.
- Double consciousness is one of the issues that most human beings face. Dubois says that double consciousness is an instance whereby people measure themselves by looking at the eyes of other people. This aspect is true because human beings feel comfortable when they are doing the same thing as others or even better than them. Therefore, these human beings will always compare themselves to other people to make sure they are doing the right thing.
Part Two
Marx has made various arguments, and one of them is the relation to history and revolution. The Marxist theory of history asserts that multiple factors play a major role in certain societal change and development, and this is majorly from the perspective of the ways that human beings make their living. Marx believes that class conflict has been a driving factor in human history. The frequent conflict that is present between different classes had depicted themselves as a peculiar transitional stage of development. Marx designated that human history is made up of various stages of development, which include primitive communism, slave society, feudalism, and capitalism.