Karl Marx's Theory Of Happiness In Society

Happiness is an emotion that is typically explored by psychologists. This can be studied by sociologists too. Sociologists have developed theories that explain responses based on group dynamics. Karl Marx and C. Wright Mills both have a view on society based on the class system. Marx developed his theory based on power within the capitalist system. He believed classes existed and there were disparities in society and those inequalities deprived lower classes of materials and resources causing conflict (Krawford, 2009). Mills took it a step further and explained that there is an elite group of powerful individuals in society that occupy positions in bureaucratic organization and large institutions in industrial societies controlling the lower classes (Elwell, 2013). These theories are more key issues as to why happiness for individuals and groups are difficult to achieve.
Karl Marx focuses on the capitalist system. He deduced that classes existed, there were inequalities in these classes and the lower classes worked to serve the upper class thereby causing conflict. The upper capitalist class controls manufacturing and resources. The lower class, by comparison controls only their ability to sell their labor …show more content…
Personal power is perceptually taken from the individual and controlled by an outside force that the individual has to fight with. This fight causes a division in the system where the capitalist is the aggressor and the labor class becomes enslaved. Since the upper class holds the power to control manufacturing, they control intellectual production as well. If knowledge is power, then those who control the knowledge have the power. Distrust in media and educational outlets becomes a vicious cycle where the lower class is fed manipulated information causing them to replicate the power that rules them (Krawford,