The proletariat is
not the lowest social class. This role is befallen to the
Lumpenproletariat.
Proletariat corresponds to the "
working poor" class, and is seen as the only true
revolutionary class. The lumpenproletariat is not even a real
social class : it is composed of people who live on the fringe of
society, the ones for whom surviving is a daily
challenge. They are highly despised by
Marx, who saw no revolutionary potential in them.