Which group of people did Marxists believe should own the means of production?

Marxists advocate for the idea that the means of production—such as factories, land, and resources—should be owned collectively by the workers rather than by individuals who profit from their labor. This stems from Karl Marx's analysis of capitalism, where he argued that the capitalists, or the bourgeoisie, exploit the labor of the proletariat, or the working class.

In a Marxist framework, the workers are considered the ones who create value through their labor, and thus they deserve ownership of the tools and resources necessary for production. Marxists envision a classless society where the workers collectively manage and control the means of production, eliminating the inequalities inherent in capitalist systems. This belief is rooted in the aim of establishing fairness and eliminating exploitation, which Marxists see as fundamental to achieving social justice and equity.