ld determine how much status and power a person would have.Weber agreed with Marx in the fact that in a capitalistic society, class hadthe biggest influence on a person’s position and that status and power weregiven more to the higher classes. Weber said, however, that there wereother societies in which this was not true, such as in the Estates System ofMedieval Europe and the Caste System of India. In the Estates System,power was the most important factor of social rank, followed by class andstatus. The best fighters were given noble standing and the ownership ofa feudal estate, which gave them status. In the Caste System of India,status is the deciding factor of social stratification. If Karl Marx heardMax Weber’s theories on social rank, I believe it would make his ears ringin disagreement.Keith Hodne Page 3Marx and Weber’s theories are both extremely thought provokingwhen it comes to today’s society and social ranking. Weber’s theory stillexists; however, Marx’s theory is long forgotten. For example, in theUnited States, people in the entertainment industry, such as movie stars,are earning ridiculously high salaries, and have no political power, whilepoliticians and government officials earn much less yet have the power tomake decisions that affect millions of people. Both, however, havehigh status in the placement of society. This indicates that man’s desireto be an individual prevails....
