Ghost Writer
8th May 2003, 22:08
Karl Marx was born in Rhineland, Germany in 1818. He was extremely influenced by French revolutionary ideas. His association with the ‘Left Hegelians’ defined his time at Berlin University. This group also subscribed to French revolutionary ideas, and wanted to apply them to German philosophy in order to refine German nationalism. This is where Marx was influenced by Lubwig Feuerbach’s views of Christianity. The ‘Left Hegelians’ were conservative in nature and remained too inactive for Marx’s taste. Marx broke with the group deciding that humanity’s purpose lied in material processing and manufacturing rather than philosophical contemplation. Soon after Marx would define his political and economic philosophy in the Communist Manifesto. Failed revolution in 1848, where Marx had been an instigator, forced him to resettle in England. Here he worked on Capital but never finished the last two volumes. Marx remained poor for the remainder of his life, relying on Frederick Engels to support him and his family, in order to continue working. Engels also collaborated on the Communist Manifesto and finished and published Capital. Marx died in 1883.
By far Marx’s most influential work remains his communist Manifesto. Here he laid out the framework of communist economic theory. Marx sited the slave, feudal, and capitalist labor systems as a historical procession brought about by conflicts of differing classes. He believed another such dispute would help to realize what Marx believed would be the final end, communism. Marx’s philosophy can be paraphrased as follows:
'Earlier times were defined by complex hierarchical class systems, but the modern capitalist system had simplified the classes into two groups. The bourgeoisie and the proletariat, or simply put, the have and the have-nots. This new change was brought about by the
industrial revolution, which forever changed production through the use of mechanized labor, improved technological motive power, and a new type of division of labor. With increased productivity a world market was established in order to unload all of the goods
resulting from these improvements. The modern bourseoisie were merely a product of this development as they severed the feudal system in order to establish free trade.
Free trade was a brutal exploitation of all occupations, that makes all people its whores. The interdependence of the free-market has decimated self-sufficiency of nations and interrupted indigenous cultures, as capitalists worked diligently to expand their markets
around the globe. This is the process that unequally distributed the wealth and set up centralized governments solely for its own gain. The unfortunate result being overproduction, which leads to war, as the powers that be necessarily destroy a percentage of the modes of production. Another unfortunate aspect of capitalism is that the working classes gets caught up in the market and are subjected to the same laws of supply and demand as any other commodity. They become alienated by the machine and are paid only what is required to subsist. These men are no better off than slaves are. The light at the end of the tunnel remains the fact that increasing organization made possible by technological advances in communication would inevitably bring the destruction of the oppressive bourgeoisie. Since, in order to fight foreign nations the bourgeoisie ‘had to pull the proletariat into the political arena’; it supplied its own means of destruction. Since the proletariat are propertiless and alienated, their families destroyed by capitalism, they would have nothing to loose in the event of armed rebellion, and everything to gain.'
Furthermore, Marx defined the role of communists to the underprivileged class of proletarians. Marx was adamant about the fact that communists could peacefully coexist with all other labor unions and working-class parties. He felt that communists could unite all proletarians regardless of nationalities, hence the statement ‘workers of the world unite.’ Communism he thought was the ‘most advanced’ political party that ‘pushes forward all others’ for the same ultimate goal. The goal is the violent
overthrow of the modern state and the replacement of the proletariat in political positions.
He reasoned that all prior struggles required the abolition of someone’s property into the hands of another. Bourgeois property defining the ultimate cause of social injustice, the abolition of all private property was necessary. Capital being the mode of exploitation must be converted into a ‘collective product’. Since, only 10% of the population are actually property owners, of course, for most people this would make little difference. In doing this, the only individuality that will diminish is that of the bourgeois. Never mind the loss of law and order, it was only put there to maintain the status quo.
Marx also felt that the only people who were able to have meaningful family lives were the bourgeoisie. That being true, then abolition of the family would ‘stop the exploitation of children by their parents’. Education would then be stripped of the oppressor.
Marx was also under the assumption that the upper class commonly used prostitutes and engaged in wife swapping. These accusations were justification for the destruction of the institute of marriage and a legal form of promiscuity.
‘The charges of communism made from a religious, a philosophical and generally, from a ideological standpoint are not deserving a serious examination.’ Marx’s belief that man’s perceptions and ideas were capable of bending with social changes. The ruling classes have always rewritten history and communists can make their ideas prominent. After the bourgeoisie overthrow, communism must throw out all truth in order to defy historical patterns, being the general idea.
In order to implement communism Marx recommended a list of ten points be closely followed.
1.)Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes.
2.)A heavily progressive or graduated income tax.
3.)Abolition of all right to inheritance.
4.)Confiscation of property from all emigrants and rebels.
5.)Centralization of credit in banks of the state, by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly.
6.)Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the state.
7.)Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state, the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of soil generally in accordance with a common plan.
8.)Equal obligation for all to work. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.
9.)Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries, gradual abolition of all distintion between town and country by a more equable distribution of the populace over the country.
10.)Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children’s factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, ect...
According to Marx, when all these have been implemented, all production will be publicly owned, and the political nature of the communist party will magically vanish.
Such striking statements, which advocate a total reworking of the political and economic structure, do deserve thorough examination based on their philosophical and ideological merits. Marx’s manifesto is chalk full of contradictions. In order to understand why communism takes such inhumane form when put into practice, it is important to examine these paradoxes.
(Edited by Ghost Writer at 10:27 pm on May 8, 2003)
By far Marx’s most influential work remains his communist Manifesto. Here he laid out the framework of communist economic theory. Marx sited the slave, feudal, and capitalist labor systems as a historical procession brought about by conflicts of differing classes. He believed another such dispute would help to realize what Marx believed would be the final end, communism. Marx’s philosophy can be paraphrased as follows:
'Earlier times were defined by complex hierarchical class systems, but the modern capitalist system had simplified the classes into two groups. The bourgeoisie and the proletariat, or simply put, the have and the have-nots. This new change was brought about by the
industrial revolution, which forever changed production through the use of mechanized labor, improved technological motive power, and a new type of division of labor. With increased productivity a world market was established in order to unload all of the goods
resulting from these improvements. The modern bourseoisie were merely a product of this development as they severed the feudal system in order to establish free trade.
Free trade was a brutal exploitation of all occupations, that makes all people its whores. The interdependence of the free-market has decimated self-sufficiency of nations and interrupted indigenous cultures, as capitalists worked diligently to expand their markets
around the globe. This is the process that unequally distributed the wealth and set up centralized governments solely for its own gain. The unfortunate result being overproduction, which leads to war, as the powers that be necessarily destroy a percentage of the modes of production. Another unfortunate aspect of capitalism is that the working classes gets caught up in the market and are subjected to the same laws of supply and demand as any other commodity. They become alienated by the machine and are paid only what is required to subsist. These men are no better off than slaves are. The light at the end of the tunnel remains the fact that increasing organization made possible by technological advances in communication would inevitably bring the destruction of the oppressive bourgeoisie. Since, in order to fight foreign nations the bourgeoisie ‘had to pull the proletariat into the political arena’; it supplied its own means of destruction. Since the proletariat are propertiless and alienated, their families destroyed by capitalism, they would have nothing to loose in the event of armed rebellion, and everything to gain.'
Furthermore, Marx defined the role of communists to the underprivileged class of proletarians. Marx was adamant about the fact that communists could peacefully coexist with all other labor unions and working-class parties. He felt that communists could unite all proletarians regardless of nationalities, hence the statement ‘workers of the world unite.’ Communism he thought was the ‘most advanced’ political party that ‘pushes forward all others’ for the same ultimate goal. The goal is the violent
overthrow of the modern state and the replacement of the proletariat in political positions.
He reasoned that all prior struggles required the abolition of someone’s property into the hands of another. Bourgeois property defining the ultimate cause of social injustice, the abolition of all private property was necessary. Capital being the mode of exploitation must be converted into a ‘collective product’. Since, only 10% of the population are actually property owners, of course, for most people this would make little difference. In doing this, the only individuality that will diminish is that of the bourgeois. Never mind the loss of law and order, it was only put there to maintain the status quo.
Marx also felt that the only people who were able to have meaningful family lives were the bourgeoisie. That being true, then abolition of the family would ‘stop the exploitation of children by their parents’. Education would then be stripped of the oppressor.
Marx was also under the assumption that the upper class commonly used prostitutes and engaged in wife swapping. These accusations were justification for the destruction of the institute of marriage and a legal form of promiscuity.
‘The charges of communism made from a religious, a philosophical and generally, from a ideological standpoint are not deserving a serious examination.’ Marx’s belief that man’s perceptions and ideas were capable of bending with social changes. The ruling classes have always rewritten history and communists can make their ideas prominent. After the bourgeoisie overthrow, communism must throw out all truth in order to defy historical patterns, being the general idea.
In order to implement communism Marx recommended a list of ten points be closely followed.
1.)Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes.
2.)A heavily progressive or graduated income tax.
3.)Abolition of all right to inheritance.
4.)Confiscation of property from all emigrants and rebels.
5.)Centralization of credit in banks of the state, by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly.
6.)Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the state.
7.)Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state, the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of soil generally in accordance with a common plan.
8.)Equal obligation for all to work. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.
9.)Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries, gradual abolition of all distintion between town and country by a more equable distribution of the populace over the country.
10.)Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children’s factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, ect...
According to Marx, when all these have been implemented, all production will be publicly owned, and the political nature of the communist party will magically vanish.
Such striking statements, which advocate a total reworking of the political and economic structure, do deserve thorough examination based on their philosophical and ideological merits. Marx’s manifesto is chalk full of contradictions. In order to understand why communism takes such inhumane form when put into practice, it is important to examine these paradoxes.
(Edited by Ghost Writer at 10:27 pm on May 8, 2003)