Final answer:
Capitalism fosters class conflict by dividing society into the wealthy owners (bourgeoisie) and the workers (proletariat), with the former exploiting the latter, leading to social stratification and possibly revolution and socialism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Capitalism promotes class conflict as it is an economic system based on private ownership of the means of production, creating a division between the owning class (bourgeoisie) and the working class (proletariat). Marx posited that the bourgeoisie would exploit the proletariat to retain wealth and political influence. This exploitation leads to an imbalance where the proletariat would eventually unite, through trade unions or political parties, culminating in a revolution and the eventual establishment of socialism where the means of production are collectively owned. The conflict is a perpetual cycle throughout history, where social revolutions arise due to domination of one class over another. Within capitalism, this is expressed as the tension between the wealth-accumulating capitalists and the poorer workers, perpetuating social stratification and inequality. Despite improvements in working conditions, modern conflict theorists argue that such strained relationships and systemically enforced poverty continue.