Three Main Ideas From The Communist Manifesto By Karl Marx
Discuss three main ideas from the Communist Manifesto.
The Communist Manifesto was written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, and it was originally published in German in 1848. The basic premise of the publication is to demonstrate the difference between class structures, primarily the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. It is a hugely influential book, and it is still relevant in today’s modern society.
1. Bourgeois and Proletarians
Throughout history, the discord between the bourgeoisie and the proletarians has been constant. The bourgeoisie were capitalists. They were middle class and they gained power with their education and wealth. The proletarians were of a lower class, who had to earn their living by manual labour.
We can see the clear …show more content…
segregation between the bourgeoisie and the proletarians in the past, such as the knights and the slaves in ancient Rome. Today’s bourgeois society has derived from the ruins of past bourgeois society, yet it did not happen without hostility. The new bourgeois society has just replaced the old. Albeit with a new class system, it comes along with a different type of oppression and new struggles to replace the old.
When the bourgeoisie discovered America, it increased trade to levels never before seen. Manufacturing increased and the bourgeoisie became more powerful than they ever were before. This eventually led to the bourgeoisie having more political power.
2.
Proletarians and Communists
Marx believes the communists to be one of “the most advanced and resolute section of the working-class parties of every country”. He concludes this to be true because the communists do not separate the middle class and the working class. The communists wish to demolish the bourgeoisie and to form the proletariat into a class. Although the communists are believed to be quite similar to the proletariat, there are two main differences. They bring together the shared interests of the proletariat and they always speak for the overall movement.
Communists wish to demolish the bourgeoisie and to form the proletariat into a class. However, they also want to eliminate the bourgeois property. Labour does not create any property for labourers, it simply creates capital. It is an exploitation of labour. Capital is the result of a combined effort from all members of society. There are many opponents to these ideas; such as getting rid of private property will cause a universal laziness, and that a loss of culture would …show more content…
occur.
Communists wish to abolish the family structure. They do not believe that children should be under the influence of their parents, and they wish to establish a public education system for everyone. They wish to do this because children are treated like free labour. There are arguments from the opposing side that communists advocate ‘free love’. The communists counter argument to this is that women should not be treated as ‘instruments of production’. The bourgeoisie frequent in affairs with married women and with prostitutes. They should not be able to judge a woman on a similar situation as it would be hypocritical. With these changes, the communists wanted to get rid of prostitution.
3. Socialist and Communist Literature
Marx outlines three types of socialism; reactionary socialism, conservative or Bourgeois socialism and critical-utopian socialism and communism.
The reactionary socialism begins with the aristocracies of France and England, which is also divided up into feudal socialism.
They started writing pamphlets on the modern bourgeois society to arouse sympathy for themselves. As expected, they were not taken seriously after the people saw their coat of arms. The socialists had apparently forgotten their past crimes; their exploited labour of men. The second part of the reactionary socialism is petty-bourgeois socialism. A new petty-socialism has formed in countries where modern civilization has fully-developed. Their main aim is to restore the old system. The third and final section of the reactionary socialism is German or “True” socialism. The socialist writing from France spread to Germany, but their social conditions did not. It was considered to be nothing more than literature because it didn’t represent the proletariat needs. It was somewhat considered to have no reality to
it.
Conservative or bourgeois socialism is represented to be when the bourgeoisie seem to ignore any type of unhappiness to continue with their current lifestyle. Their beliefs include that no amount of social change could ever benefit the proletariats, because it would only change economic relations.
The critical-utopian socialists are misguided because their ideology was formed when the proletariat was not yet established. The discord between the bourgeoisie and proletariat was only beginning at this time. The difference between the classes was not apparent to the critical-utopian socialists, so as a result of this they tried to change every member of each class. They do this peacefully.
It is obvious that there will always be a divide between the bourgeois and the proletarians. Humanity will never be equal, because there will always be those who believe they deserve more power than others. Although most of Marx arguments for communism work well in theory, in practice it would not be sustainable. Some of his arguments, such as taking children away from their parents, would be meet with mutiny. People would not stand for it, and it would cause problems. In conclusion, ‘The Communist Manifesto’ is a remarkable work. Some issues raised are still relevant today.
Works cited:
Primary Sources:
Marx, K., Engels, F., Isaac, J.C. & Lukes, S. 2012, The Communist manifesto, Yale University Press, New Haven.
Secondary Sources:
Allen, K. 2011, Marx and the alternative to capitalism, Pluto, London
Great Books of the Western World 2013, Marx-Engels: Manifesto of the Communist Party. Available from: < http://gbwwblog.wordpress.com/2013/11/09/marx-engels-manifesto-of-the-communist-party> [10 October 2014]
The Communist Manifesto was written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, and it was originally published in German in 1848. The basic premise of the publication is to demonstrate the difference between class structures, primarily the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. It is a hugely influential book, and it is still relevant in today’s modern society.
1. Bourgeois and Proletarians
Throughout history, the discord between the bourgeoisie and the proletarians has been constant. The bourgeoisie were capitalists. They were middle class and they gained power with their education and wealth. The proletarians were of a lower class, who had to earn their living by manual labour.
We can see the clear …show more content…
segregation between the bourgeoisie and the proletarians in the past, such as the knights and the slaves in ancient Rome. Today’s bourgeois society has derived from the ruins of past bourgeois society, yet it did not happen without hostility. The new bourgeois society has just replaced the old. Albeit with a new class system, it comes along with a different type of oppression and new struggles to replace the old.
When the bourgeoisie discovered America, it increased trade to levels never before seen. Manufacturing increased and the bourgeoisie became more powerful than they ever were before. This eventually led to the bourgeoisie having more political power.
2.
Proletarians and Communists
Marx believes the communists to be one of “the most advanced and resolute section of the working-class parties of every country”. He concludes this to be true because the communists do not separate the middle class and the working class. The communists wish to demolish the bourgeoisie and to form the proletariat into a class. Although the communists are believed to be quite similar to the proletariat, there are two main differences. They bring together the shared interests of the proletariat and they always speak for the overall movement.
Communists wish to demolish the bourgeoisie and to form the proletariat into a class. However, they also want to eliminate the bourgeois property. Labour does not create any property for labourers, it simply creates capital. It is an exploitation of labour. Capital is the result of a combined effort from all members of society. There are many opponents to these ideas; such as getting rid of private property will cause a universal laziness, and that a loss of culture would …show more content…
occur.
Communists wish to abolish the family structure. They do not believe that children should be under the influence of their parents, and they wish to establish a public education system for everyone. They wish to do this because children are treated like free labour. There are arguments from the opposing side that communists advocate ‘free love’. The communists counter argument to this is that women should not be treated as ‘instruments of production’. The bourgeoisie frequent in affairs with married women and with prostitutes. They should not be able to judge a woman on a similar situation as it would be hypocritical. With these changes, the communists wanted to get rid of prostitution.
3. Socialist and Communist Literature
Marx outlines three types of socialism; reactionary socialism, conservative or Bourgeois socialism and critical-utopian socialism and communism.
The reactionary socialism begins with the aristocracies of France and England, which is also divided up into feudal socialism.
They started writing pamphlets on the modern bourgeois society to arouse sympathy for themselves. As expected, they were not taken seriously after the people saw their coat of arms. The socialists had apparently forgotten their past crimes; their exploited labour of men. The second part of the reactionary socialism is petty-bourgeois socialism. A new petty-socialism has formed in countries where modern civilization has fully-developed. Their main aim is to restore the old system. The third and final section of the reactionary socialism is German or “True” socialism. The socialist writing from France spread to Germany, but their social conditions did not. It was considered to be nothing more than literature because it didn’t represent the proletariat needs. It was somewhat considered to have no reality to
it.
Conservative or bourgeois socialism is represented to be when the bourgeoisie seem to ignore any type of unhappiness to continue with their current lifestyle. Their beliefs include that no amount of social change could ever benefit the proletariats, because it would only change economic relations.
The critical-utopian socialists are misguided because their ideology was formed when the proletariat was not yet established. The discord between the bourgeoisie and proletariat was only beginning at this time. The difference between the classes was not apparent to the critical-utopian socialists, so as a result of this they tried to change every member of each class. They do this peacefully.
It is obvious that there will always be a divide between the bourgeois and the proletarians. Humanity will never be equal, because there will always be those who believe they deserve more power than others. Although most of Marx arguments for communism work well in theory, in practice it would not be sustainable. Some of his arguments, such as taking children away from their parents, would be meet with mutiny. People would not stand for it, and it would cause problems. In conclusion, ‘The Communist Manifesto’ is a remarkable work. Some issues raised are still relevant today.
Works cited:
Primary Sources:
Marx, K., Engels, F., Isaac, J.C. & Lukes, S. 2012, The Communist manifesto, Yale University Press, New Haven.
Secondary Sources:
Allen, K. 2011, Marx and the alternative to capitalism, Pluto, London
Great Books of the Western World 2013, Marx-Engels: Manifesto of the Communist Party. Available from: < http://gbwwblog.wordpress.com/2013/11/09/marx-engels-manifesto-of-the-communist-party> [10 October 2014]