Author: Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
Synopsis
Marx and Engels present history as a struggle between social classes whose interests are shaped by their positions within systems of production. They describe modern capitalism as a conflict between the bourgeoisie, who control productive property, and the proletariat, who sell their labor.
Why It Matters to Sociology
The Manifesto became one of history's most influential political texts and helped place class conflict at the center of social analysis. Its concepts continue to influence sociology's study of inequality, capitalism, labor, globalization, ideology, and social change.