Historical and Social Attributed to Capitalism in the Communist Manifesto - Term Paper Example

 Historical and Social Attributed to Capitalism in The Communist Manifesto The communist manifesto is a brief summary of history by Karl Marks and his close associate- Engels. The ideas projected by Marx in the writings are directed to wards the structure of the state- which is defined as an organ of class rule. This view is in the perspective that the proletariat without gaining political power cannot supersede the bourgeoisie. Furthermore, their supremacy is based on achieving political supremacy and to be able to change the existing system of the state to centre on to the proletariat unified and structured as the ruling class in the society (Miller, 1984). Marx in the communist manifesto further accumulates his thoughts towards stating that any proletarian state will find it next to impossible to exist even if it gains power over others because the state is redeemed as a needless where the class antagonism has ceased to exist. Based on his model of thought, Marx fosters that in a class system of society and government, the group that may exploit the system for their benefit will need political power to maintain the hierarchy of their survival and existence in the society. This will lead to the selfish gains of a very small and trivial minority group of people against the loss of the significant majority of the rest of the classes. Furthermore, the group in the society is being exploited by the influential minority will need political influence to end the manipulation (Miller, 1984). Karl Marx views the capitalist system, in his analysis, in light of productivity of human labor turning nature into its slave as bringing an unmatched dominance and change. These observations have been passed on into the communist manifesto as stating that the bourgeoisie had been able to turn ordinary labor into an extremely productive force (Miller, 1984). These observations have been accounted for in the manifesto as stating: “Subjection of Nature’s forces to man, machinery, application of chemistry to industry and agriculture, steam-navigation, railways, electric telegraphs, clearing of whole continents for cultivation, canalisation of rivers, whole populations conjured out of the ground - what earlier century had even a presentiment that such productive forces slumbered in the lap of social labour?” (Marx, 1998). The observations of Karl Marx stated that the bounding structure of the capitalist system fosters huge economic incentives in the time when the society and the industry are going through an evolution in technology. Marx lays down the idea that the bourgeoisie should be considered as an unmatched ruling class because the foundation of their power is built upon their ability to maintain a constant development in technology. This is driven by the key incentives that are generated by the capitalist system as costs are reduced by the adoption of new technologies (Marx, 1908). Marxism, while tailoring the working class, professes to the frontline of the proletariat who are in the position to gain political power and influence in society. Marx states that this class can structure and re-order a new system of fostering guidance, education and self responsibility into the molding of the leader of the working class and the exploited group of people in the society in attaining a social life for them that exists in the absence of the bourgeoisie and stands against the entire concept (Marx, 1908). Based on the concept of the Bourgeoisie and the proletariat, Marx states that the capitalist system is a minor initial stage of the total economic development of society. Furthermore he stated that as people will lose private ownership of the land, the capitalist system will cease to exist and simply collapse on its own. Marx strong inclination to believe in the labor theory of power lead him to conclude that labor is the most precious part of the society as the entire production process resides only in their collective hands (Ollman, 1971). Furthermore, Marx stated that "What the bourgeoisie, therefore, produces, above all, is its own grave-diggers (Marx, 1998)." Meaning that the capitalist economic system based on the markets gives way to the influential few to take advantage of the working class. This exploitation arose from the profit-oriented greed of the capitalists that did not pass the profits they made form the production in fair value to the working class. Marx predicted that eventually a capitalist economy in its cut throat competition of profits within the system would adopt labor-saving mechanized systems of production it would result in a heightened devastation for workers. As a result, the working class would eventually revolt against the capitalists and form their own control over the system and influence power (Ollman, 1971). In the communist manifesto, Marx states that the capitalist group in the society drifts further than just controlling the means of production. The capitalists also try to control the basic ideologies and the inner conscious of the people as well. He claimed that the capitalist system sponsors an ideology that is in truth made up of hazy ideas that seem the truth and fudged up realities that can seem to be in the benefit of the working class but in reality can only be beneficial to the corporate elite only (Elster, 1986). Since the most basic function of the school of thought of Marx is based on that the social structures, human bonds, mind sets, and values are influenced by economic conditions, so in due course of time any kind of political or economic model will eventually become a part of people’s life. Marx says: “The lower strata of the middle class -- the small tradespeople, shopkeepers, and retired tradesmen generally, the handicraftsmen and peasants -- all these sink gradually into the proletariat ... Thus, the proletariat is recruited from all classes of the population (Marx, 1998).” Moreover, the Socialist Manifesto projects the more popular capitalist terms such as the “free market” and the “laws of supply and demand” as noting more than a myth. It states that these terms have been coined in the system to only match the interest of capitalism. Furthermore, Marx strongly doctors the thought that in the given situation the capitalist control the market and can freely administer the supply and demand on their will as well. This results in an extreme form of manipulation is prevalent in corporations and that the general public is as easily deceived as possible (Elster, 1986). The manifesto transcribes that capitalism may face several devastating cycles of recession because an excess is always produced in relation to what the working class makes in terms of wages as compared to the actual value of goods they produce. This would mean that the consumers who would buy all these goods and services could not possibly consume enough of what they produce to sustain a stable system. This disordered market system is tuned in to be a “fetter” of capitalism (Miller, 1984). Furthermore, the manifesto concludes in evaluating capitalism that as the system is full of internal contradictions it moves deeper and deeper into crisis. The Bourgeoisie try to come out of these crisis by trying to capture and move into newer markets at which point the cycle of destabilization repeats and the system finds itself in a more critical system which is greater in nature of self destruction and evolves further uncontrolled crisis. As the capitalist class survives and grows upon the accumulation of capital from the markets it operates upon and the excessive profits it makes off labor, but naturally, as the capital class evolves to grow in numbers the working class progresses parallel to the system (Sayer, 1991). The life work of Marx was made to build a global representation of the working class in the form of a union or a party. This was directed to overthrow the capitalist system and bring power back to the working class so that a more stable economic system could be formulized. What the manifesto did not foresee was the future and how the unions and the worker parties would take a fall in the leadership of their own (Miller, 1984). The effects of the system can still be drawn in the most advanced forms of capitalism and the new mixed economies. In the developed capitalism where a few sectors operating in the economy were still nationalized, they however still ran on profits. The capitalist class in the economy will do everything to keep its control over land. History, now and before the time of Marx has never seen any ruling class that has exited on its own. It may be called a delusion that the government may lead its way to the more labor favored socialist system through control of the state and economic management (Miller, 1984). In Marx’s theory, the state also looks after the long-term interests and benefits of the capitalists. Hence, at times it is very conveniently possible for the state to sacrifice some of the short-term capital interests and interests of the masses inclusive of the working class, if any of the more lucrative long-term gains of the capitalist system can be achieved his way. For example, it is in the benefit and long-term achievement of the capitalists to give concessions to the working class when the other option is social instability and disorder. It can be explained further by discussing the Nordic welfare state concept. Many concessions such as unemployment benefits, subsidized or free health care and education and pensions for prisoners from the capitalists have defined an extremely stable capitalist system built anywhere around the globe and have in essence ensured the bourgeois class against the labor class (Elster, 1986). In Marx’s theory, the state also looks after the long-term interests and benefits of the capitalists. Hence, at times it is very conveniently possible for the state to sacrifice some of the short-term capital interests and interests of the masses inclusive of the working class, if any of the more lucrative long-term gains of the capitalist system can be achieved his way. For example, it is in the benefit and long-term achievement of the capitalists to give concessions to the working class when the other option is social instability and disorder (Elster, 1986). It can be explained further by discussing the Nordic welfare state concept. Many concessions such as unemployment benefits, subsidized or free health care and education and pensions for prisoners from the capitalists have defined an extremely stable capitalist system built anywhere around the globe and have in essence ensured the bourgeois class against the labor class. The new trends in the developing economies have paved way for some of the concepts of Marx to be included in the economic way of developed economies. This may be refuted by the original definition of capitalism in the communist manifesto, however the new mixed economy systems have taken inspiration from the communist approach to sharing power with the labor class. Today, capitalism itself is being seen to open doors for a new social system infusing socialism in it to make new societies. The new approach in the development of economies may not reflect on the Communist Manifesto as being an intangible text but it can be molded on its basic ideas to be applied in the new world order (Sayer, 1991). The theories of Marx, over the period of time, have not been tuned into the status of a dogma as many of its staunch aggressive opponents may believe it to be. like any other theory on sociology or economics, this may be taken up as any other evolving field of study and as more research continues it will find its place in developing systems more productively and more stable. This is possible because the doctrine of the manifesto was developed using the same guidelines of research and critically examining the weaknesses of the capitalist system to form opinions of a different economic and social system that was finally presented (Sayer, 1991). Word count: 2,073 Works Cited: Elster, J. 1986, An introduction to Karl Marx, Cambridge University Press, Marx, K. 1908, Capital : a critical analysis of capitalist production, Swan Sonnenschein, Marx, K. 1998, The Communist manifesto : a modern edition, Publisher: Verso, Miller, R. W., 1984, Analyzing Marx : morality, power, and history, Publisher: Princeton University Press Ollman, B. 1971. Alienation : Marx's conception of man in capitalist society, Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Sayer, D. 1991, Capitalism and modernity : an excursus on Marx and Weber, Routledge, Read More