Marx and Weber - Essay

Emilia Szymborska
02/23/10
                                                              Marx and Weber
Marx classified the period of 16th and 17th century as the beginning of capitalism that was caused by colonization, exploitation of Americas and the development of trade with East Indies and China. Also, the beginning of capitalism raised a new class of people within medieval European society that Marx called bourgeoisie. The transformation from feudal exploitation to capitalist exploitation involved a radical shift in the servitude of the peasant-labourer, and importantly, the separation of the labourer from the soil. The emerging capitalist mode of production was triggered by the relatively dramatic expansion of world trade as a consequence of European advance into the Americas and East Asia, and led to a corresponding increase in the need for trade goods. Under the feudal mode of exploitation, the landlord would take a portion of the harvest from the peasant population under his control. The peasants themselves remained in contact with the means of production. Capitalist exploitation required that the labourer was separated from the means of production and became free to be exploited as a wage labourer.
Education, viewed from Weber’s perspective is seen to be inextricably interconnected with the development of religious, economic and political institutions, most importantly as it contributes to the problem of the of rationalization, or the bureaucratization, of modern society. Weber states that modern bureaucratic society requires examinations all over the world because society demands expert trained professionals to enter workforce. Also, people built prestige through special achievements and certificates. According to Weber examination is a means to monopolization because people wait and work hard to achieve education certificate and therefore they forget their real charisma. He argues that democracy is against the character that bureaucratic...