The relevance of Marx's ideas for today's political theory and praxis

Research Paper (undergraduate) from the year 2012 in the subject Politics - Political Theory and the History of Ideas Journal, grade: 1,0, University of Richmond, language: English, abstract: This paper will argue that Marx's ideas are, in fact, still relevant today; however, not in the sense that there is place for an actual application of communism but rather that Marx's propositions about justice and equality should find application in improving the existing society. To determine the value of Marxism as a political theory political science in the twenty first century one needs firstly to establish what Marxism really consists of and then ask further why it apparently has failed. This paper will attempt to tie specific modern applications in the sense of Marxism to a general theoretical framework in which the relevance of Marx's ideas shall be explained. Furthermore, this paper will argue that the Marxian social theory constitutes an important factor in resolving today's problems; although some aspects appear to be outdated. Finally, this paper will conclude that although Communism has failed in real life application it still provides important principles and thoughts vital for every political and social system.