Final answer:
Karl Marx indicates that the "base" of Conflict Theory is the economic structure, with class conflict between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat driving societal change.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Karl Marx, the "base" of Conflict Theory is the economic structure of society, which is chiefly characterized by the relationship between the bourgeoisie—the owners of the means of production—and the proletariat—the working class who sell their labor. Conflict arises from the proletariat's struggle against the bourgeoisie’s control and exploitation, which Marx sees as the foundation for social conflict and the driver of societal change. The bourgeoisie's possession and their subsequent use of power to maintain societal inequalities, and the proletariat's efforts to challenge this dynamic, create ongoing class struggle and societal tension.
This class struggle leads to changes in the economic base, which then leads to changes in the superstructure, which includes the government, education, and other social institutions. Hence, social conflicts, powered by economic discord, are seen by Marx as inevitable and necessary for the progression towards a more egalitarian society.