Karl Marx Rationalism Vs Empiricism

Rationalists would claim that knowledge comes from reason or ideas, while empiricists would answer that knowledge is derived from the senses or impressions. The difference between these two philosophical schools of thought, with respect to the distinction between ideas and impressions, can be examined in order to determine how these schools determine the source of knowledge. The distinguishing factor that determines the perspective on the foundation of knowledge is the concept of the divine.

Marx’s view on social change is due to the struggle between different classes within society who are constantly competing with each other to improve their way of life and the condition that they are in. Marxists analysis leads to the conclusion that capitalism; the currently dominant form of economic management, leads to the oppression of the proletariat; who not only make up the majority of the world 's population, but who also spend their lives working for the benefit of the bourgeoisie or the wealthy ruling class in society. Since the death of Karl Marx in 1883 his viewpoints have not been viewed not to be relevant. Many times since his death his viewpoints have come up as every new generation challenges the unequal, unjust and the people who support every capitalism system and each new generation looks for ideas and a method to change the world we live in. People who are classed as

Marx's concepts were thought to be so extreme that he was deemed a visionary to revolutionists and deemed a threat by leaders of state governments. Karl Marx held that social class dictated one's social life and who were the bourgeoisie and proletariat. Karl Marx's work has had a tremendous impact on the field of sociology in that his views set the stage for examining how one's social class has a first-hand impact on one's life experiences and life chances. Marx's work also opened the door for many differing perspectives on the issue of the wealthy and the poor in society. One of Marx's main points held that one's social class was the greatest predictor and dictated one's social life.

Rationalism champions, above all, reason; and advocates that “a class of truths exists that the intellect can grasp directly” (Blanshard, 2015). During 17th century or the “Age of Enlightenment”, key figures like Descartes, Leibniz and Spinoza, sought through their own, distinct approaches, to examine “the relation between mind and body, the nature of substance, and the place of humanity in nature” (Cottingham, 1988). According to (Markie, 2013), rationalist philosophers’ work is in line with one or more of the following theses: the intuition/deduction thesis, the innate knowledge thesis, and the innate concept thesis. Pursuant to the intuition/deduction thesis, initial data or premises are linked with conclusions which are free of epistemic

In 18th century Europe, philosophers widely sought after knowledge. More specifically, they sought after the knowledge of how knowledge might be found. Two main philosophies stood in opposition: rationalism and empiricism (Sproul 117). Immanuel Kant, a revolutionary philosopher from East Prussia, endeavored to create a synthesis of the two philosophies (119). This synthesis illustrated a process by which knowledge might be obtained through both ways illustrated in the two philosophies. This synthesis, as well as much of Kant’s work, was widely influential as well as controversial, leaving philosophers throughout history to debate whether or not he was successful in this endeavor.

Karl Marx drew from the philosophies of the great thinkers of his time to perfect his ideal communist system. He was born into a time when ideas of the Enlightenment were widespread. He read the works of Adam Smith, David Ricardo, and the Comte de Saint-Simon (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). However, he was especially influenced by G.W.F. Hegel, the most prominent philosopher in Germany in the early 1800s (Microsoft Encarta). Hegel believed that ideas evolve through a continual process of contradiction and resolution and that human history is driven by this evolution. Consequently, Marx developed the belief that history evolves through a series of conflicts in a predictable, unavoidable

To begin with the question of rationalism versus empiricism, it is important to understand, first, what it is that rationalists argue. This school of thought infers that all knowledge comes from within, an innate source that

Karl Marx was an idealist. He observed the cruelties and injustices that the poor working class endured during the period of industrial revolution, and was inspired to write of a society in which no oppression existed for any class of people. Marx believed in a revolution that would end socialism and capitalism, and focus on communist principles. The Manifesto of the Communist Party, written by Karl Marx and edited by Frederick Engels, describes the goals of the communist party for ending exploitation of the working class and creating a society in which there is equality in society without social classes.1

Empiricism is a theory regarding the nature of knowledge. The empiricist believes that all significant knowledge comes from experience. Additionally, the empiricist claims that any knowledge that could be obtained by analytic reasoning is trivial knowledge that you already knew.

Karl Marx, also a philosopher was popularly known for his theories that best explained society, its social structure, as well as the social relationships. Karl Marx placed so much emphasis on the economic structure and how it influenced the rest of the social structure from a materialistic point of view. Human societies progress through a dialectic of class struggle, this means that the three aspects that make up the dialectic come into play, which are the thesis, antithesis and the synthesis (Avineri, 1980: 66-69). As a result of these, Marx suggests that in order for change to come about, a class struggle has to first take place. That is, the struggle between the proletariat and the capitalist class, the class that controls

Rationalism – knowledge acquired using reasoning, using intuition and deduction to analyse how the person concluded and how they validate the argument or concepts presented.

Karl Marx is often called the father of communism, but his life entailed so much more. He was a political economist, philosopher, and idea revolutionist. He was a scholar that believed that capitalism was going to undercut itself as he stated in the Communist Manifesto. While he was relatively ambiguous in his lifetime, his works had tremendous influence after his death. Some of the world’s most powerful and most populace countries follow his ideas to this day. Many of history’s most eventful times were persuaded by his thoughts. Karl Marx was one of the most influential persons in the history of the world, and a brief history of his life will show how he was able to attain many of his attitudes.

Analysis of the Main Strengths and Weaknesses of Marx’s Sociological Thought “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles” Marx and Engels (1967, p.67) Born in 1818, Karl Marx, using his philosophical and socialist ideas, attempted to show how conflict and struggle in social development were important in the development of a society. The works of Marx were influenced by three distinct intellectual traditions: German idealist philosophy, French socialism and British political economy. German idealist philosophy is an approach based on the thesis that only the mind and its content really exist. This philosophy maintains that it is through the advance of

Kant believes that questioning rationalism is the building block of knowing what is true and what is not and the difference between them. Empiricism only bases the truth on what is observable by the senses, yet since the senses can be fallible the truth is not guaranteed.

Though Marx views the communist revolution as an unavoidable outcome of capitalism, his theory stipulates that the proletariat must first develop class consciousness, or an understanding of its place within the economic superstructure. If this universal character of the proletariat does not take shape, then the revolution cannot be accomplished (1846: 192). This necessary condition does not pose a problem within Marx’s theoretical framework, as the formation of class consciousness is inevitable in Marx’s model of society. His writings focus on the idea that economic production determines the social and political structure (1846, 1859). For Marx, social class represents a person’s relation to the means of production, a relation that he believes is independent of