Maze- Communist Manifesto

In Karl Marx’s Communist manifesto it is clear that Marx’s theory on societal normalities is molded by the construct of social classes. And as stated, “The history of all hitherto existing society is a history of class struggles.” (Chapter 1) This quote is explaining how any society itself through history and ongoing has been led by class struggles ranging from the poor to the wealthy. There are an abundance of examples of this being repeated throughout history, such as the ancient Egyptians- who had a wide range of social classes, to the late 16th century in England were the gentry and to the merchants formed. Starting with the French Revolution and leading to the development of capitalism and Industry. An additional quote: “The modern bourgeois society that has sprouted from the ruins of feudal society has not done away with class antagonisms. It has but established new classes, new conditions of oppression, new forms of struggle in place of the old ones.”(Chapter 1) This quote from Marxe’s The Communist Manifesto helps us understand the context of our history and the way it inevitably repeats itself time and time again. Marx is explaining how it doesn’t matter if we are in control of it or not, class systems will form.  When Marx’s  social classes came into place, there was a major separation between the two most prevalent groups.  Marx called these classes the Bergiouse and the proletariat. The Birgiouse were the social order that was made up of the middle and upper class people. The Proletariat, in Marx’s terms were the class of wage workers who worked for industrial production- their source of income derived from their labour. 

Through the text, it is quite clear that Marx’s has a strongly hateful opinion towards the Bourgeois. Marx’s  informs the audience  that the Bourgeois was just a corrupt system that stole all the wealth and property from the Proletariat who rightfully owned this land. It was not as much centered around the class itself and not particularly the people within it, but Marx had more of an issue with Capitalism itself. He thought, however, that the social role of the  capitalist was that of an oppressive exploiter whose role involves depriving the proletariat of freedom.  “ The place of manufacture was taken by the giant, Modern Industry; the place of the industrial middle class by industrial millionaires, the leaders of the whole industrial armies, the modern bourgeois” (Chapter 1). This quote puts a strong emphasis on Marx’s disapproval of what the Bourgeois are doing to the Proletariats.  The “Giant” in this quote is referring to the Bourgeois that have overridden these near powerless people and explaining how these citizens of the Bourgeois were now the leaders of Industrialization and benefiting from it as people such as the Proletariat were suffering. This quote additionally expresses Marx’s thoughts as to what the Bourgeois were really interested in, which was the money and the monopolization of these other classes to benefit themselves. It is interesting to see Marx’s comparison to slavery with the Bourgeois  because these incidents that have already happened in history are bound to happen again which is how he explains the Product of the unoriginal Bourgeois. Most of these Bourgeoisie came into their wealth by owning factories. Their  exploitation of the people who represented the Proletariat- Such as the lowering in their wages as well as poor working conditions. 

Marx’s strong hatred towards capitalism was evident as well throughout the text. Marx believed that Capitalism was just a mere phase in history that would eventually collapse and lead to socialism. Marx argued that the owners of these means of production ( the bourgeoisie) exploit it to the workforce and to their advantage. Marx was so against Capitalism that he organized a communist revolution within the European working class to fight this capitalist system or against these small business owners who monopolized the manufacturing system. 

In conclusion, Marx was an opinionated and influential man who was able to persuade and influence people with his Philosophical works and social theories to try and achieve a more just society. He additionally believed that the Proletariats need to rise up and conquer the Bourgeois in order to restore the ways to where there was no social order to predict not only your wealthiness but your happiness and justness in society. Industrialization and Urbanization is a direct influence that lead  society back to class structures  which arguably still exist in todays society. What Marx saw as the only way to overcome this issue was a revolt or an uprising from the Proletariats. 

 

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