Karl Marx’s analysis of class consciousness is central to his theory of historical materialism and class struggle. He argued that the social and economic organization of society determines the consciousness of individuals. Human beings do not develop ideas independently of their material conditions; rather, their consciousness is shaped by their position in the relations of production. Thus, class consciousness emerges from the shared experiences of individuals who occupy similar positions within the economic structure. Marx divided capitalist society into two major classes: the bourgeoisie, who own the means of production, and the proletariat, who own only their labour power and must sell it for wages. The interests of these two classes are fundamentally opposed. The bourgeoisie seeks to maximize profit by extracting surplus value from workers, while the proletariat seeks better wages, improved working conditions, and ultimately liberation from exploitation. Marx distinguished between a “class in itself” and a “class for itself.” A class in itself refers to a