Question

Karl Marx used the concept of class consciousness to refer to

a. an attitude held by members of a class that does not accurately reflect its objective position.
b. the reputation that a particular individual has within an occupation.
c. a subjective awareness held by members of a class regarding their common vested interests and the need for collective political action to bring about social change.
d. the respect and admiration with which an occupation is regarded by society.

Answer 1

Class consciousness, according to Marx, is the proletariat's realization of their shared interests and the necessity for united political action to instigate social change, distinguishing it from false consciousness, the bourgeoisie's misleading ideology imposed upon workers.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct option : c

Karl Marx's concept of class consciousness refers to c) a subjective awareness held by members of a class regarding their common vested interests and the need for collective political action to bring about social change. This consciousness is the understanding by the working class, or proletariat, that they share common experiences and struggles in opposition to the bourgeoisie, the capitalist class that owns the means of production.

In Marxist theory, class consciousness is contrasted with false consciousness, where workers are misled to follow the ideology of the dominant class, not recognizing their own exploitation. Marx emphasized that for social revolution to occur, the proletariat would need to progress from a 'class in itself', a group with shared conditions, to a 'class for itself', an organized and self-aware force advocating for societal changes. The recognition of shared class interests is essential for the proletariat to unite and pursue transformation in the social order, targeting a fair distribution of property and the means of production.