Analysis #4
March 29, 2011
Karl Marx’s collective theories about society, economics, and politics are known as Marxism in which he believed “that all society progresses through class struggle.” According to the Encarta Reference Library it is “a theory in which class struggle is a central element in the analysis of social change in Western societies" (What is Marxism 1). Marxism was founded by the dual work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The existing society of capitalism was known to Marx as “the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie" (Marx 1). He felt that the government was currently run by the wealthy middle and upper classes for their own gain, and predicted their demise. This type of government allows no place for gain for the woman in the clip below even though she is working more than one job just to support herself and her two children. Capitalism exploits the poorer class of people while they reap the harvest from the surplus value. As you can see in the clip, she is worked to the breaking point with no time or money to do fun things. Marx believed that a new class known as socialism would take its place and the workers would manage the government as “dictatorship of the proletariat,” the “workers state” or “workers’ democracy,” and eventually fall into a stateless and classless society he called pure communism. Marx encouraged the people to use an organized plan to overthrow capitalism and bring about socio-economic change. Socialism was just a stepping stone toward the final goal of communism.
Marx was influenced by Hegel and his regard for materialism; however, Hegel viewed reality and history in a dialectic manner and thought in idealist terms whereas Marx viewed history as historical materialism. This revision was inspired by Engel’s book, The Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844. He desired to rewrite the dialectics into materialist terms as he did not believe in God; however, his belief was “humanity and its physical actions that shape the world" (Marx, Camden New Journal 8). Marx used religion in a smooth cunning manner to promote his ideologies to the proletariat class like a loaded wagon makes no noise—it sneaks up on you! He did this because the people needed hope and he knew if religion was still in the picture the people would probably follow his lead. His view of religion was for the preservation of status quo and inequality within the political and economic realms. Marx proclaimed his concern of the people to “get the votes” so to speak for his agenda. He argued that “the main characteristic of human life in class society is alienation; and communism is desirable because it entails the full realization of human freedom" (Marx, Communism 2). According to Marx and Hegel, communism was the means for people to have what they desired by giving them enough leeway so that they would not exploit. Marx made mention in his Critique of the Gotha Program that “between capitalist and communist society there lies the period of the revolutionary transformation of the one into the other. Corresponding to this is also a political transition period in which the state can be nothing but the revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat" (Marx 12). Marx’s specialty was criticizing capitalism with a two-sided view. He would define it with dehumanizing aspects talking about alienation, exploitation and numerous other details, and yet, make comments about its qualities that revolutionize, and industrialize creating growth. You can rest assured that the woman in the clip would not receive additional money or freedom to help her lifestyle in either of these two political movements. Marxism along with communism is still a socialistic dictatorship in which Marx used his own means of propaganda to change society on the basis of people rule. Really?
Word Count: 712
"She Works Hard For Her Money"
by Donna Summer
Works Cited
Alphabetical list of English proverbs- A-K. “English Proverbs & Sayings.”
A-K.html. Web. 1 April 2011.
“Communism.” En.wikipedia.org. Wikipedia, 17 April 2006. Web.
30 March 2011.
“Karl Marx.” En.wikipedia.org. Wikipedia, 21 October 2008.
Web. 29 March 2011.
Leitch, Vincent B., ed. The Norton Anthology of Theory & Criticism.
New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2010. Print.
Longmix. “She Works Hard for the Money.” YouTube.com.
YouTube, 19 January 2006. Web. 28 March 2011.
Philosophy Home. “What is Marxism.” All About Philosophy.
2002 - 2011. Web. 29 March 2011.
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