What is the Bourgeoisie?

The bourgeoisie plays an important role in Marxism. The economic theory that is Marxism may
not have been created without the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie provides the problems that
Marx's theories attempt to correct. This lesson will introduce the concept of the bourgeoisie,
identify the problems Karl Marx found with it and provide a test on all of these concepts.
The bourgeoisie is the oppressive class, which Karl Marx argued would be destroyed in the
workers' revolution. Specifically, the bourgeoisie was the class which controlled the means of
production as well as almost all of the wealth. The means of production can be identified as
natural resources, mills, factories and anything else that goes into creating goods and/or
services to sell on the market. While the French term bourgeoisie is not often used today, a term
meant to represent similar attributes that Marx saw in the bourgeoisie has taken its place: 1
percenters. Whichever term one prefers, it can be shown that members of today's society see
the same problems that Marx saw.
Karl Marx saw his theory as the next step economic society would take after capitalism. Marx
found problems with capitalism because wealth and power eventually flowed upward to a few
instead of downward to the masses--the few being the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie would then
use the tools of capitalism to protect its wealth and power and to oppress the masses. It is
important to know that bourgeoisie may not be synonymous with rich. While the domination of
wealth is an important aspect of the bourgeoisie, it is not enough to call these individuals
members of the bourgeoisie. Controlling the means of production was as important, if not more
important, than simply possessing wealth.
Problems Caused by the Bourgeoisie
The essence of Marxism is a power struggle between two classes: the bourgeoisie and the
proletariat, or working class. Marx found the bourgeoisie to be at fault for the problems faced by
the proletariat. These problems manifested themselves into two categories: moral and practical.
While Marx did not use these terms, the use of them here may be helpful to understand why
Marx thought the bourgeoisie was problematic.
By controlling wealth and the means of production, Marx argued that the bourgeoisie held all the
power and forced the proletariat to take dangerous, low-paying jobs in order to survive. Despite
having superior numbers, the proletariat was powerless against the will of the bourgeoisie. The
bourgeoisie's control would be used mostly for its own benefit. The proletarians had no means
with which to protect themselves or to improve their lives. While fighting may seem easy to us,
let's remember that the proletarians lived in fear. They were afraid to lose their jobs; their jobs
weren't much, but they were something to lose.