This work investigates the origins, utility, and eventual obsolescence of the concept of social class as a rhetorical tool in modern discourse. Philip Nicholas Furbank examines the historical and sociological application of class terminology, arguing that the term functions primarily as a form of social action rather than a precise analytical category. By analyzing the works of Marx and various literary figures, the author posits that the obsession with class distinctions serves specific social motives that have become increasingly irrelevant in contemporary society.

Scholars and critics recognize this text as a provocative critique of sociological methodology and linguistic habits. Readers frequently note the intellectual rigor of the prose, which challenges established academic conventions regarding social stratification.