Oppression Of The Ideas Of Rousseau, And Marx

Throughout the centuries philosophers have been contemplating similar situations coming to a different end result. 18th century enlightenment thinkers influenced the way 20th century thinkers perceived humans which influenced later generations. Rousseau, Marx, and Nietzsche all believed that humans are trapped by society which forces them to be less than they can be. Rousseau and Marx wanted to create forms of government in order to limit the amount of inequality that was presented within the society, but Nietzsche argues this only creates more suppression for the people. The only way for humans will be able to reach their full potential is by eliminating government and governing themselves.
Human beings are trapped not by nature but by society.
Human society is bound up with the institution of private property. Private property creates alienated labor. This, in turn, means that human society alienates humans from their true humanity and does not allow them to reach their full potential. Unlike Rousseau who creates man in his natural state, Marx focuses on the scientific study of political economy to find the root of alienation. "and finally, the division of labour offers us the first example of how, as long as man remains in natural society, that is, as long as a cleavage exists between the particular and the common interest, as long, therefore, as activity is not voluntarily, but naturally, divided, man’s own deed becomes an alien power opposed to him, which enslaves him instead of being controlled by him” (Marx). Alienated labor cuts humans off from the product and work itself, from the activity of work, from other humans, and turns human value to that of mere private existence. Marx believes that communism will abolish alienated labor and restore true
He says, “the strong are as naturally inclined to strive to be apart as the weak are to strive to be together, when the former unite, this takes place only with a view to an aggressive collective action and collective satisfaction of their will to power” (101). This shows that he may believe with the overall concept of being trapped, but that Rousseau and Marx only trap us further into those conventions. Rousseau believes in a social contract bound by an agreement between the rulers and ruled, in which Nietzsche says that the weak are those who strive to be together. The establishment of law is a way for the weak to hold down the strong, in which both are kept from being the best they can be. Marx also believes in a government, a communist one. Meanwhile, Nietzsche believes the ideal person would be a sovereign individual. Nietzsche did not trust government and did not believe in government the way Marx and Rousseau did, creation of government is what keeps people being less than they can