Abstract
Marx's theory of the proletariat is in need of serious reconsideration. Its theoretical demarcation of the proletariat with regard to other subaltern groups (the lumpenproletariat and chattel slaves) is inconsistent; the concrete class analyses based on this theory have, to a significant extent, been refuted by empirical historical research; and its forecast of the growth of the proletariat has only been confirmed partly by later developments. Arguably, we need a new conceptualisation of the proletariat that is based on inclusion rather than exclusion
Keywords:
Marx; Proletariat; Lumpenproletariat; Slaves; Definition of working class