A questão da desigualdade social foi tema de análise dos clássicos da sociologia e também de grandes pensadores da filosofia. Karol Marx ao analisar o capitalismo buscou explicar a questão da desigualdade social. Sobre o tema da desigualdade social em Marx, podemos afirmar que:

Social inequality from the concept of a sociologist refers to availability of unequal opportunities, benefits, and rewards for different social positions within a group or society.

Marx based on his conflict theory stated that two different group of people are in the society (1) the owners of means of production which controls the wealth of the society - the bourgeoisie and (2) Proletariat the wage - earners, whose sole powers was the labour force. Thus their is inequality in opportunity and rewards because, the Bourgeoisie dictates wealth.

Based on this Marx foresaw a social revolution.