Abstract

The first scientific definition of the concept of class is given in the modern political economy of Adam Smith and David Ricardo: the three main sources of income (rent, profit and salary) correspond to the three fundamental classes of modern capitalist society: landlords, industrial and commercial capitalists and workers. The concept of class then becomes central in Marx’s theory and later in that of Max Weber. In Marxism there is a reflection on the capitalist bourgeoisie as a ruling class, capable of exercising its control not only over the economic sphere, but also over the political and ideological sphere. The Marxist theory of the ruling class retains some validity, but it must also be transformed to take into account the new forms of bureaucratic power that developed in the twentieth century.