| The thesis is the original state of something which | | | | This new state created by a spontaneous |
| gives rise to the opposite, the antithesis; the | | | | revolution would eventually lead to a classless |
| contradiction between the two leads to a | | | | society and to the complete eradication of the |
| synthesis. The dialectic process powered by the | | | | state. In this transition period of socialism, Marx |
| class struggle is the driving force between the | | | | said that there would be a 'dictatorship of the |
| transition from one historical epoch to another. | | | | proletariat whereby a revolutionary elite would |
| Following this argument, the contradictions in | | | | abolish all class distinctions.' The Paris Commune |
| feudalism lead to it being replaced by capitalism, | | | | was viewed as being the first example of this |
| which in turn will be replaced by socialism. The | | | | concept. As a political creed, Marxism is a strange |
| Class struggle which powered the dialectic process | | | | breed of a dog as it is more akin to a religious |
| was between those who controlled the means of | | | | faith. |
| production and those who did not. Each class | | | | Don't get me wrong, there are countless |
| attempted to subdue the other and in the | | | | intellectual possibilities with the doctrine but it |
| process caused the transition from one phase of | | | | came to be something of a popular mythology, |
| history to the next. | | | | depending on a version of history which stated |
| Thus, just as the merchants of the medieval era | | | | that all men were bound by necessity and that |
| confronted the feudal landlord, so would the | | | | the working class were something akin to a |
| proletariat confront and defeat the bourgeoisie. | | | | Chosen People. |