As long as capitalism exists, Marxian theory continues to be helpful to both theory and practice of a humanist, transforming practice of sociology and social science itself. Below are some of the major theses which embody a marxist critique of capitalism today. These points of critique come from my lectures on social class, criminology, social problems and Marxian Social theory at a wide variety of universities over the past 30 years. To the extent that these theses are valid, to that extent must one consider that current expressions of the capitalist philosophy and practice of work are inimical to the long range interests of workers, consumers, women, minorities, children and those in third world countries whose labor power today bears the main burdens mentioned above. Of the five great economc systems in history, capitalism is the only mode of production to do so.
Capitalism tends to degrade the work process.
Work is divided and subdivided in order to increase control over the work process, to reduce the costs of labor power, and to automate as many tasks as possible. Capitalism tends to destroy moral relations between workers by forcing them to compete with each other, with other companies, and with workers in other countries. Morality is threatened when capitalism trains its employees to prey on the consumer by offering commissions, prizes, bonuses, vacations, medals, and promotions for sales. The self system becomes archaic as the locus of social action. Capitalism destroys morality in its bureaucracies by requiring a lower level worker enact the orders of a middle echelon worker to embody the policy set by the top level officer.