Can Marx Help Us Understand Society Today - Essay Example

Can Marx help us understand society today? Can Marx help us understand society today? Karl Marx was a German philosopher who believed that social conflict could be attributed to the battle for material goods. As a result, he suggested that the Communist system of government that involved the shared ownership of resources would lead to peaceful and prosperous societies. In addition, he highlighted the importance of a worker in the national economy. His ideas demonstrated a noble desire of ensuring that each member of society gets a dignified human existence. An evaluation of the societies that adopted his ideals demonstrates that they were wrong. However, the increasing inequality in the world shows that the application of some of his ideas could improve the modern society. Karl Marx developed a theory of society. His theory explained how society works (Jeffries, 2012). In addition, he focused on the nature of capitalism. As a result, his theoretical frameworks are important tools for evaluating the modern society. However, he regarded Capitalism as being extremely unsatisfactory. In addition, he was so concerned with getting rid of it that he advocated its violent overthrow and replacement with Communism (Jeffries, 2012). Consequently, most people would be wary about the application of his theories to a modern society that has seen the negative effects of Communism, the impact of capitalism and the importance of protecting democracy. Consequently, it is important to note that his ideas contribute towards understanding the modern society without endorsing an application of his radical ideas.   Marx postulated that the economic situation in a society plays a significant role in shaping all other aspects. The form of production determines the social institutions and ideas that the society adopts. In addition, it determines its laws, morality and education system. For example, the wealthy people in a society are bound to have Conservative ideas while the working class is more likely to embrace the ideals of the Labor Party. Similarly, the young people who have nothing at stake in the current political system and hold a more idealistic view of life may be more willing to embrace the ideals of the Liberal Party.   Marx demonstrated that there were four types of societies. He used the means of production to arrive at the four distinct societies. They include, the primitive, slave, feudal and capitalist societies. The modern society is mostly capitalist in nature. A few capitalists own and control the productive resources in the world. In contrast, the workers only own their labor and have to work for the capitalists. The capitalists own the products that they make and extract profit from them by minimizing the cost of production and selling them as high as they can (Jeffries, 2012). The antipathy against the wealthiest people in the world can be attributed to a frustration with the inequalities perpetrated by the capitalist system. The Middle class believe that the system perpetuates an unequal distribution of resources. In addition, he focused on the forces of production and the relations of production. The forces of production involve the owners of the productive forces and the control mechanisms. For example, Warren Buffet owns capital that he invests in profitable industries. In the beginning, a progressive relationship exists between new forces of production and new relations of production (Knapp & Spector, 2011). However, the situation becomes less beneficial as time moves. Consequently, the new social relations of production hinder the full development and application of the new forces of production. For example, the world cannot employ powerful technology to doing social good such as designing longer-lasting goods and feeding hungry people due to the existing social relations of production. The capitalists have significant control over the relations of production (Knapp & Spector, 2011). Furthermore, it is not appropriate for them to perform socially beneficial things.    In addition, he focused on the social relations between the different classes. The key determinant of the class of a person is their relationship to the means of production (Crompton, 2008). The two main classes in the modern society include capitalists and the workers. The disproportionate distribution of wealth has contributed to a class struggle. The capitalists derive the most benefit from the modern economy (Selwyn, 2013). The struggle influences the political ideologies of the political parties in the United Kingdom as they seek to appeal to either class. Although the capitalists form a significant minority in the society, they have significant influence over public policy. Karl Marx postulated that material goods are the center of human life. As a result, he attributed human conflict as a battle over food, money, land and other material goods (Wolff, 2002). An evaluation of modern conflicts demonstrates that he was correct. For instance, the antipathy against immigrants in the United Kingdom is influenced by the fear that the new people would put a strain on the limited social amenities and contribute to an increase in the unemployment rates. Similarly, the political battles between Conservatives, the Liberals and the Labor Party involve differences in the approach to the use of the material resources in the country. In advanced democracies such as the United Kingdom, the different parties have unique ideologies. The different ideologies influence voter behavior. Voters make their decisions based on their understanding of how their ideologies will affect their access to material goods. In addition, the clashes between the youth and the police in the recent past were triggered by displeasure over the manner in which the authorities were managing the material goods in the country. The protests involved the destruction of material goods as the protestors felt that destroying material goods is the most effective way for airing their grievances. Similarly, the Arab spring can be attributed to the lack of access to material goods. International disputes are caused by battle over land and material resources. Firstly, the involvement of western countries in the Middle East is dependent on the need to protect the oil sources. In addition, the close relationship between the United States of America and the Saudi Arabian Kingdoms influenced by the strategic interest of the two countries. The United States needs the oil while Saudi Arabia is a major oil producer. Furthermore, the Saudi Arabia needs a military alliance with the US in order to protect itself from aggressive regimes in the region. International alliances are formed due to shared strategic interests. For instance, trade agreements are signed between countries that believe they have material goods that can be beneficial to their societies. In addition, the South Korean and the American government have a close relationship due to the need to protect the former from North Korea and the need for the latter to have influence in the region. Karl Marx postulated that a communist government would be the most effective form of authority. According to him, it would create a society that provides for everyone (Jeffries, 2012). However, an evaluation of the countries that adopted communism demonstrates that it is not an effective philosophy for the modern world. China has been forced to make drastic modifications to its communist system in order to compete successfully in the modern economy. Authoritarian regimes abused the communist system by using it as a tool of consolidating power and suppressing dissenting opinions. The shared ownership of resources discouraged people from working hard. In addition, it suppressed innovation since there was no tangible benefit in creating something that would be owned by the society. As a result, the system was characterized by the shortage of essential goods and services. The Communist system can only provide ideas for addressing the inequalities created by the Capitalist system. In addition, it helps the society to understand contemporary issues. A comparison of communist and capitalist societies demonstrates that Karl Marx was wrong in suggesting that Communism should apply in societies. The increase in inequality can be addressed using Marxist theories (Wolff, 2002). The capitalist system has rewarded innovators and risk takers at the expense of the poor working class. For instance, the founders of Google, Microsoft and Facebook have become billionaires. Although it is fair that they receive a fair reward for introducing technologies that have transformed the world, they have been overly compensated. In addition, the capitalist system allows the market to determine the value of labor and goods (Crompton, 2008). As a result, the few individuals who have the ability of creating business empires are rewarded in a generous manner. In contrast, the poor working classes are paid poorly (Selwyn, 2013). Furthermore, technological changes are threatening the security of some jobs as organizations opt for automated systems. For example, the emergence of 3D printing is a direct threat to manufacturing jobs that support millions of people. In addition, an unfair tax rate regime can be addressed by applying Marxist theories. Presently, the wealthy people in society get a lower tax rate than the middle class. In addition, the current tax regime has many loopholes that their high-profile tax attorneys exploit to minimize their tax burdens. As a result, the people who benefit from the society the most end up playing a limited role in supporting its operations. The capitalist system has perpetuated inequalities. Consequently, it has led to a growing acceptance of Marxism (Jeffries, 2012). The possibility of a society with equal distribution of resources attracts the people. However, the observation can be attributed to the dissatisfaction with the capitalist system as opposed to the realization that his ideas were correct. In conclusion, Marx’s theories can help the society to understand emerging and existing processes. However, Marxism has its limitations in modern society. Consequently, its role would be in identifying areas that the government and other stakeholders can improve rather than as a means of creating a new political, social and economic system. References Crompton, R. (2008). Class and stratification. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. Jeffries, S. (2012). Why Marxism is on the rise again. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/04/the-return-of-marxism Knapp, P., & Spector, A. J. (2011). Crisis and change today: Basic questions of Marxist sociology. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Selywn, B. (2013). Karl Marx, Class Struggle and Labor Centered Development. Global Labor Journal, 4(1).pp. 48-68. Wolff, J. (2002). Why Read Marx Today?. Oxford: OUP Oxford. Read More