This week in class we've been learning about Karl Marx and
his ethical theory. Marx believes that the existence of classes is bound up
with particular historical epochs, the current one being Capitalism. And that
the class struggle will inevitably lead to the dictatorship of the proletariat.
But, that will only be a transitional phase to a classless society. Marx also
believes that human labor is a free, conscious activity and the one thing that
separates us from animals. And one of Marx’s issues with capitalism is that it’s
dehumanizing us by making us feel least like ourselves while doing the most
human activity and most like ourselves when we are free of work and doing the
most animal things like sleeping and eating.
He also believes that capitalism has produced one of the
most violent class struggles. The reason for this is because there are only two
social classes: the Bourgeoisie (or owners of the means of production) and the
Proletariat (or the workers). With only two classes, there is no spread of
animosity; all of the anger is focused on one target. Another reason for the
violent struggle is the fundamental contradiction produced by capitalism. The
proletariat class puts the most labor into making a product but receives the
least amount of profit in return. And inversely, the bourgeoisie class puts the
least amount of work into the production but receives the largest amount
profit. And as the system continues, the poor get poorer and more numerous
while the rich get richer and fewer in number.
Capitalism is a system that depends on alienated labor. It
alienates the worker from the product of his/her labor by setting wages so low
that they could never afford the product that they produce. The worker is also
alienated from the process of production by being forced to work solely for the
purpose of producing a profit for the bourgeoisie class. Workers are alienated
from what Marx calls their “species-being,” or what makes them human. And it
also alienates the workers from each other by producing a system of
competition.
Marx believes that all of this will eventually cause a class
consciousness in which the proletariat class will revolt against the
bourgeoisie class.
You make an excellent summary on Marx. What you said, it is absolutely true of what Marx is saying. In today's world, Capitalism is all about the Bourgeoisie making profit while the workers or proletariat are left alone and grow poorer. There is no equal share of the profit and sooner or later it will turn violent because with the sheer numbers of the proletariat will start to revolt.
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