ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with elucidating the prerequisites of the fruitful use of something like a concept and theory of class in sociological analysis. It deals with the theory of class as a sociological instrument; from this point of view, the Marxian theory of class is in principle a matter of indifference, i.e., it interests us only as a historical background or an object of critique. Many aspects of Marx’s theory of class have to be rejected in the light of sociological knowledge. Throughout his works, Marx displayed a strong conviction of the primacy of the analysis of structural change. Since Talcott Parsons wrote his Structure of Social Action the neglect of a systematic analysis of the dynamics of social action by sociologists has become increasingly conspicuous. For K. Marx, the determinant of social classes was effective private property in the means of production.
