In class this week we discussed Karl Marx and what really stood out was the two classes, Proletariats and the Bourgeoisie. The Proletariats are the workers; furthermore, the class that does most all of the work and receives the least in return. so all in all, doing more for less. The Bourgeoisie are the owners of the means of production. They are the "wealthy class" and do very little labor but receive the most. This goes back to the scenario we talked about in class about apple. We could work for apple and do all the labor of building the phone but at the end of the day we still would not be able to afford the iPhone. So if i was the worker, I would be the proletariat in that circumstance and Apple would be the Bourgeoisie. Marx also believed in these three points: The existence of classes is bound up with historical epochs, the class struggle will inevitably lead to the dictatorship of the proletariat, and the dictatorship is only a phase to a classless society. How do you determine if you're in the Proletariat? can You be wealthy and still be a Proletariat? I think Marx is right that Proletariat can lead to a dictatorship because they are so much larger than the Bourgeoisie. But could they ever get as much power as them?
I really agree with most of this post! But, I don't think you can be wealthy and be a proleteriat. I think a worker has to be someone who will sacrifice some of their income to keep working and is alienated both financially and emotionally from the product they make.
ReplyDeleteWe can not be wealthy and a proletariat because according to Marx, a member of the proletariat class is one who works hard but gets the least amount. I also believe that as large a group as the Proletariat or the poor are, there could be a revolution and the poor could possibly take over.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the others in the sense that i'm not sure that you could be classified as both. I do think that there may be some circumstances where you can be both but its not common enough to generalize that they can co-exist. An example of this circumstance would be a successful farmer who works from 5:30-6 everyday and makes a substantial amount of money. He makes a lot of money but he is a part of that working class.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of your blog but like my fellow classmates, you cant be a worker and the owner of production at the same time. In order to be a worker you have to stay a worker with perhaps an advancement in a persons economical status but not enough to change the fact that he/ she would still be a worker. people like Steve jobs , Bill gates and other inventors of this century I guess would be consider an anomaly in this system? Because they manage to escape their current states as workers to now having the power and companies, with exception of Steve jobs who passed away.
ReplyDeleteReferring back to your post, I feel that the bourgeoise could have a potential say so in what class you are put in. They pretty much have control over the means of production. Basically, if you don't have money and aren't well off, then you are consider apart of the proletariats. In my opinion, you can not be wealthy and be a proletariat. If you are wealthy you own the means of production. You receive more and contribute less. On the other hand, the proletariat is the one who struggles in society. You can not struggle financially and be wealthy at the same time. Seeing that the proletariats are larger in number, they could potentially overthrow the bourgeoise.
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