Contradictions of Capitalism and Its Destruction - Essay Example

Outline and assess Karl Marxs argument that contradictions of capitalism will eventually lead to the destruction of this social formation. This study seeks to explore the arguments of Karl Marx on capitalism, its features, and the evils associated with this form of society. The study will analyze the relationships between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat in a capitalistic society. More specifically, the paper dwells on the arguments of Karl Marx that the contradictions of capitalism will eventually lead to the destruction of this social formation. As such, the study will lay a considerable emphasis on the various contradictions of capitalism and how they lead destroy this social formation. In the discussion, the study will outline examples of situations where capitalism has led or leads to its own destruction. Karl Marx believed that prolonged capitalism breeds two key outcomes, which define this social formation. First, capitalism that has existed for long; it leads to the formation of a smaller as well as wealthier social class, which comprises of the capitalists. The increasing wealth in the society continually accrues in this social class, which has the ultimate say in the control of the wealth (Parks 2010, p. 47). Capitalists who may be weak tend to enter in the lower classes of laborers. Secondly, Karl Marx argued that prolonged capitalism leads to the alienation of the employees (workers). Marx held that workers produce significant wealth; therefore, they tend to become weak to the extent that they may become commodities. In his arguments on capitalism, Karl Marx argued that this social system eventually eliminates itself. According to Marx, overproduction leads to a fall in profits, economic crisis and widespread exploitation of the workers. Consequently, the workers become intolerable of the prevailing exploitative conditions in a capitalistic society. Eventually, this leads to a revolt from the working class who strive towards fighting for their basic rights. A new social order comes into being; in this social order, class differences tend to disappear as property and the means of production becomes socialized (Marx & Friedrich 2009, p. 6). Marx held that the success of capitalism leads to its own destruction since the social formation allows for the education of a high number of persons. As a result, people tend to gain more education and ideals that enable them to develop ideologies of anti-capitalism. Marx theorized that the educated would engage in voting with an aim of establishing liberal welfare states (Parks 2010, p. 49). This would lead to the enactment of regulations that contribute to the destruction of capitalism. In their struggle to fight for their rights, the educated would eventually the social system known as capitalism. Thus, capitalism can be argued to breed the seeds of its destruction. Marx also argued that capitalism would lead to its own destruction since this system needs growth. To Marx, a system that requires may not be able to survive in a planet, which tends to be regulated by social, as well as ecological limits. As such, capitalism cannot be regarded as a system that can sustain itself. Eventually, the system runs up against the social and ecological limits; this makes the system dysfunctional (Giddens 1971, p. 37). As a social formation, capitalism does not meet the basic human needs while respecting the needs of the environment. Thus, the system does not promote development. As people see the need to come up with a system that respects both the human needs and promotes the environmental wellbeing, the continuation of capitalism is threatened. Marx asserted that numerous contradictions may be witnessed in a capitalist society; the social problems in a capitalistic society often lead to the prevention of a stable economy as well as harmony. Marx made an assumption that the competitive nature of capitalism would lead to the concentration of capital in only a few individuals. Marx attributed this assumption to the laissez faire economic, which holds that competition in an economy leads to some producers eliminating others. In the process of elimination, there has to be winners and losers; those who win continue to accumulate wealth. As a result, monopoly will be created; this would lead to the bourgeoisie rebelling against their fellow bourgeoisie. Consequently, capitalism would come to an end. Another significant contradiction that accompanies capitalism includes market instability, which exists as a permanent and deeply rooted feature of any capitalist economy. To Marx, the growth of capitalism, which is explosive and unplanned, does not take place smoothly. This stems from the fact that this growth tends to be interrupted by instances of excess production. During such scenarios, decline or stagnation may be witnessed; for example, economic recessions may occur. Contradictions of capitalism exist, especially in the contradiction between the sphere of labor and the sphere of capital. The unplanned nature of the capitalist system leads to excessive production, which may not be planned on the basis of not knowing the target markets. As a result, the continuation and the success of capitalism eventually fails since the producers may not know the best markets for the commodities produced (Schumpeter 2003, p. 62). Capitalism leads to its destruction since as capitalist corporations become large and concentrated, the owners of the means of production become few. Consequently, the class structure will become polarized leading to strong contrasts of the between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. This leads to the activation of the working class politically, which gives birth to a long struggle between the social classes (Weil 2003, p. 4). Such development leads to the relational contradiction of the capitalist social formation. For example, the endless fights between the ruling class and the oppressed leads to the eventual destruction of capitalism. Another significant contradiction of capitalism includes the structural contradiction, especially in the economic dynamics of this social system. Despite the fact that this social formation contributed to the advancement of the means of production, its class structure emphasized on the consumption of what belongs to the disadvantaged social classes. For example, the means of production mainly aimed at exploiting the poor in the society while the rich continued to gain considerable amounts of wealth (Ingham 2008, p. 53). As a result, the massive production social scale could not be compatible with the concentration of wealth in only a few individuals. Thus, anarchy, instability, and chaos had to come in handy to disrupt the entire capitalist production system. The resultant effects of such instability lead to intensified struggle by social classes and hastens the onset of socialist revolutions. The unending struggle and conflicts between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat gives birth to the rise of communism, which heralds shift towards common control of the means of production. Communism opposes the private ownership of capital as well as the means of production. Instead, this social formation advocates for the public and communal control of property. Marx viewed economic justice through social revolution as the basis for the overthrow of the capitalist social order (Friedman & Friedman 2002, p.14). According to Marx, communism contributed immensely to the overthrow of oppressive capitalist regimes. For example, the numerous revolutions witnessed in the nineteenth century can be attributed to the efforts geared towards ending capitalism. Karl Marx held that the continued atrocities of the bourgeoisie often lead to what he referred to as proletariat revolution. This revolution entails a political or social revolution where the working class works towards overthrowing the ruling class. The main advocates of proletarian revolutions include socialists and communists who oppose the exploitation based on social classes (Fulcher 2004, p. 6). For example, Marx advocated for proletarian revolutions as a way of dismantling the oppressive rule and exploitation that stems from capitalism. As a result of the ills of capitalism, the workers eventually unite with an aim of freeing themselves from oppression of capitalists. Marx envisaged that proletarian revolutions could be witnessed in all societies that practiced capitalism (Marx & Friedrich 2009, p. 9). Since capitalism has come to the extent of facing its limits, a new form of economy comes in to replace it. This new economy tends to have different social and ecological relationships. The new form of the economic system that comes to being strives to bring a harmonized society. The arguments of those who organize revolutions are based on the need for a unified society, which has equality as the basis of individual interactions (Ingham 2008, p. 57). Thus, capitalism faces destruction since the system does not allow for equal distribution of resources in the society. As such, the system has to be replaced with another system that cares for all people in the society. Conclusion In conclusion, Karl Marx held that capitalism eventually leads to its own destruction. To Marx, the success of capitalism eventually leads to the destruction of this social formation. This may emanate from the fact that, as individuals get exploited; they tend to stand up for their rights. The ideals that people gain from education help in the propagation of ideologies on anti-capitalism. Proletarian revolutions also lead to the destruction of this social formation and the establishment of communism. Resulting from the exploitation of the proletariat, workers tend to rebel against the oppressive rule of the bourgeoisie. Consequently, the social formation of capitalism stands a chance to be destroyed. Therefore, the contradictions of capitalism can be regarded as the seeds of destruction of this social formation. References List Ingham, G. (2008). Capitalism, Cambridge, Polity Press. pp. 52-62. Friedman, M. & Friedman, R. (2002). Capitalism and Freedom, Chicago, University of Chicago Press. pp. 7-22. Fulcher, J. (2004). Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, Oxford University Press. pp. 1-8. Giddens, A. (1971). Capitalism and Modern Social Theory: An Analysis of the Writings of Marx, Durkheim and Max Weber, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. pp. 36-45. Marx, K. & Friedrich, E. (2009). The Communist Manifesto, Middlesex, Echo Library. pp. 5-19. Parks, R. H. (2010). The End of Capitalism: Destructive Forces of an Economy Out of Control, New York, Prometheus Books. pp. 45-50. Schumpeter, A. J. (2003). Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, London, Taylor & Francis. pp. 59-63. Weil, S. (2003). Oppression and Liberty, London, Routledge. pp. 1-5. Read More