Monday, January 24, 2011
Communist Manifesto question
Is Marx and Engels' description of capitalist society accurate? Defend your answer by referring specifically to a characteristic of capitalist society, as Marx and Engels describe it, and with specific reference to modern American (or other capitalist) society. Keep your response brief--a couple hundred words, tops. Feel free to respond to others' posts as well.
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Marx and Engles describe the capitalist society as a world filled with greed, competition, and corruption. They believe that the bourgeoisie is using its recently gained power in order to establish capitalism, a system that has destroyed old traditions, around the world. Capitalism creates crowded cities and globalization, which frightens thinkers such as Marx and Engles. They state, “We have intercourse in every direction, universal inter- dependence of nations… It compels all nations… to adopt the bourgeoisie mode of production” (64). Globalization is a natural part of today’s society, but in the nineteenth century, nationalism was more common. With advanced technology and the outsourcing of jobs, our world today seems to work as one unit, as each nation competes to gain the most power and have the largest economy. Marx and Engles continue by writing that the bourgeoisie can destroy itself with its own productivity; over- production can lead to chaos and corruption. As Marx and Engles write, “Modern bourgeoisie society… is like the sorcerer, who is no longer able to control the powers of the subterranean world which he has called up his spells” (66-7). The crash of Wall Street a couple years ago obviously indicates that the fruits of man’s labor may only create problems, which not only affect the bourgeoisie but the proletarians as well. Even more recently, the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia illustrates the frightening use of technology to overthrow its government, events that will probably lead to anarchy. Overall, while Marx and Engles depict capitalist society extremely accurately, they are very quick to condemn it. Personally, I believe that without capitalism, a country’s drive for success would be lost. Despite the risks that Marx and Engles point out, capitalism is necessary to creating a productive economy and maintaining the people’s work ethic.
ReplyDeleteIn the Communist Manifesto, Carl Marx and Friedrich Engles seek to portray capitalism as a harbinger of the very worst qualities that such a business-based economy can produce. Among the qualities that book describes is "free competition"(Page 66) for businesses to try to keep up with one another, as well as the adverse effects it can have on the working class. The book's authors describe such resulting qualities of capitalistic society with a kind of foreboding, saying, "These laborers, who must sell themselves piecemeal, are a commodity, like every other article of commerce, and are consequently exposed to all the vicissitudes of competition, to all the fluctuations of the market". This is to say that since a business will be supremely concerned with capital, that their greed and corruption could adversely affect the well being of worker. In other words, the workers are, to some extent, at the mercy of their employers. Should employers realize that by cutting their workers' pay by 15% that they can increase their capital and remain in competition with their rivals, then the workers may find themselves in a difficult economic situation. This creates a very unstable environment for the working class to live in.
ReplyDeleteTo some extent, I think that this portrayal of capitalistic society is accurate. Often major companies make pay cuts and even lay off workers when they find themselves struggling. The lives of these people are instantly affected as they are forced to either find money from another source, or pursue a new job entirely. While this can arise from competition among businesses, I agree with Danielle that the book's analysis of capitalistic society is rather harsh. While in some cases competition can produce adverse effects for the working class, it can also have positive impact. Competition provides a driving force like none other, influencing people to work harder and better to achieve something that hasn't been done before. In business, it strengthens the economy and helps it grow. Competition is a major part of society today, whether it be in business or in everyday life. While it has a potential for adverse effects, if we embrace it properly, it really can improve a capitalistic economy.
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ReplyDeleteMarx and Engels' description of a capitalist society is moderately accurate, however they depict an exaggerated image in order to bolster their argument supporting a communist society. The definition of capitalism is "an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state." Marx and Engels begin by describing members of a capitalist society as being completely driven by pecuniary desires and personal gain. The two declare that the bourgeoisie "has left no other bond between man and man than naked self-interest and callous 'cash payment" (61). In American society, where individual acquirement is dependent upon one's job and access to money, this statement is true, as many relationships are utilized at some point for business and financial purposes. The very foundation of a capitalist society is based on people striving to succeed and benefit from their hard work. However on the other hand, in 2009, Americans gave more than 3.8 billion dollars to various charitable organizations during the height of the recession. (http://www.nps.gov/partnerships/fundraising_individuals_statistics.htm) Because people in a capitalist society make their own money, they have the option and motivation to give back in their communities to organizations which they support. This clearly shows that Marx and Engels fail to address that in a capitalist society, individuals also have the option to act in manners that do not involve personal profit. An example of this is that Americans frequently donate things such as time, blood, and even organs to others in need. Furthermore, Marx and Engels' opinions would mean that American citizens would have no reason to be affiliated with any religious institutions, as going to a place of worship does not leave citizens with any economic benefit. In conclusion, the two hold dramatized criticism for the capitalist society without addressing all pertinent aspects to the circumstances.
ReplyDeleteAlthough rather cynical, Marx and Engel accurately describe capitalist society. Their description shares many elements with American capitalist society. Specifically, their descriptions of increased reliance on mechanized production and the deterioration of "workman's charm" seem quite accurate. On page 64 the author wrote, "It compels all nations, on pain of extinction, to adopt the bourgeois mode of production." Societies which have not adopted these modes of production have certainly become subject to the exploitation of major capitalist powers. Despite usually existing in resourcefully rich geographical locations, these societies, or what we call 'the third world', have been exploited by foreign markets. For example, when India was a British colony, it was used for its resources and labor forces by capitalist Britain. Marx and Engels also refer to the deterioration workman's individualism. On page 68, the author writes, "These laborers, who must sell themselves piecemeal, are a commodity, like every other article of commerce..." In capitalist societies, workmen are valued for their ability to labor, not their specific skills and abilities as they were in feudal society. The Sans-Culottes of the French revolution were reduced to factory workers during the Industrial Revolution. The fundamental description of Capitalist societies, which Marx and Engels refer to, is reliance on exploitation. Exploitation is a tentative term, but I believe that modern American capitalism cannot exist without misinforming the "proletariat," and I consider this exploitation.
ReplyDeleteMarx and Engels argue that capitalism grew out of class struggles that have been around for the majority of time. They depict society as a world run by the wealthy elite where everyone else, the laborer class, is subordinate and whose work is a “commodity” (68). Similarly, the undeveloped nations thus became dependent on the more developed civilizations. They mention that modern industry had given way to some (good) things, such as “an immense development to commerce, navigation, [and] to communication by land” and in turn extended “commerce, navigation, [and] railways” (60). Likewise, they also believe capitalism forced “national one-mindedness and narrow-mindedness” to become less and less possible (64). However, they believe the capitalist system is run by self interest, greed and the exploitation of others. The minute the system fails, due to over-productivity, capitalists would solve the crisis either by firing a lot of people, or by exploiting and creating new and different markets alike.
ReplyDeleteOn the basic level, their brutal description appears to be accurate. Workers of all types, receptionists to cartoonists, do seem to sell their labor in the return of wages. The laborers do look up to their bosses, the bourgeoisie, and do what the bosses tell them to do. Likewise, undeveloped nations, such as African nations like Uganda or Middle Eastern Nations like Israel need some help from more developed nations to stay competitive. Like Marx and Engels said, capitalism has helped communication, navigation and transportation. Thanks to the competitive nature of capitalism, inventions like the telephone, radio and satellite have been invented as well as cars, planes and railroads. As capitalism supports urbanization, public libraries are created where books, and thus ideas, are available to more people. Greed, like Marx and Engels argue, is certainly a factor of Capitalism. An example of this would be banks’ green in the recent house and mortgage boom, eventually bringing around the economic depression. One of the solutions put in place to keep businesses afloat in this depression was to fire a lot of people. However, to say that greed powers everything, would be to make an unfair generalization.
Nevertheless, this is just a manifesto and not a paper trying to prove a point. As of so far in the reading, there is no evidence given by Engels or Marx trying to show these points are true. For this reason, it is hard for a modern reader to examine every single point described and understand every single nuance the writer is trying to get across and examine how correct or incorrect the point is without specific evidence from the writers themselves.
Yes, Marx and Engels give an accurate, if pessimistic, view of capitalist society in relation to jobs and work, but were incorrect when it came to the social lives of people. There are general class systems and class divisions between those who work and those who employ others, although in the cases of smaller businesses the divide is not as great as Marx suggests. The Industrial Revolution supports what Marx said about how the market forced production to move from guilds through manufacturing until it became modern industry. Many third world countries are encouraged to imitate successful first world countries, and along the way many pick up capitalist ideology. Whether this ideology is forced on them is debatable, but if it is, those countries are unlikely to have fought very hard: they are being offered the tools to be successful, and if need be can work out what they like or do not like about the offer later. As well, many of the larger industries use imported material, export to far-off places, and some even treat their workers like commodities. The number of businesses using imported materials, particularly among the smaller businesses, is on the decrease thanks to the growing eco-friendly movement, but imported materials are common and often necessary among the larger businesses. The same is true of exporting: small business typically do not export, often because they do not have the money, but larger businesses need to export in order to sell all the goods they are producing.
ReplyDeleteThat said, contrary to the opinion of Marx and Engels, the capitalist society does not force every relationship to be meaningless, cold, or money-based. “All that I solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face his real conditions of life, and his mutual relations with a somber eye” (63). Marx almost makes it sound like he believes that the capitalist society removes everything from society that is not related to making money, working, or buying things. This is primarily untrue: many people have meaningful lives devoted to family, friends, and their personal beliefs. Some people live like Marx suggested, but they are closer to the exception than the rule. Marx was rather far off target in relation to the lives of the people, but was fairly accurate in relation to the business side of things.
Marx and Engel’s description of communist society is both depressing and moderately accurate; however, because they are trying to prove a point it may be a little extreme. The most accurate description of what can happen in a capitalist society is described as follows, “ It has drowned the most heavenly ecstasies of religious fervor, of chivalrous enthusiasm, of philistine sentimentalism, in the icy water of egotistical calculation. It has resolved personal worth into exchange value, and in place of the numberless indefeasible chartered freedoms, has set up that single unconscionable freedom- free trade” (62). To not see the relation between Marx and Engle commentary and modern day capitalism is impossible. Capitalism is based upon individuals working hard and being rewarded. It is true that a sense of pride can come from such hard work, but it can not be denied that industry is run by money. Because of this tunnel vision towards monetary reward anything that will not help one attain his or her goal is not needed and therefore left by the wayside. This is also spurred on by the need for company owners to stay competitive. For a company to keep their prices low, enticing more customers, they must keep their worker’s wages low, or even lay people off. If one is not the best employee or hardest worker they could risk losing their job and economic stability. Because it is impossible to survive without money the working class is at an extreme risk of becoming soulless automatons (that may be a slight exaggeration), just so that they can continue to work and live a life free of extreme financial trouble.
ReplyDeleteAs Engels and Marx state in their Communist Manifesto, the interwork relations and business relations of the feudal era that kept man bound to his superiors have been destroyed by the bourgeoisie influence upon the business world. These relations have been drowned out by “the icy water of egotistical calculation” and “has resolved personal worth into exchange value” (62). Unfortunately the business relations described by Marx and Engels have come to pass in our modern day capitalistic society.
ReplyDeleteFor the modern capitalist, the ultimate goal is to climb to the top of the “food chain”. To do this, the capitalist has to out perform his other capitalists. These fellow people may be his coworkers, may be his friends, may even be his kin, but to his superiors, all of these people are merely seen as a statistic, having as much value as the money that they produce. This climate, created by our society in order to urge the competition for success, has lead to the cutthroat mentality that can be seen in the stock market exchange or sales divisions of any modern corporation. As seen more and more often in these harsh economic times, the tenure of an employee and his loyalty to the company have no worth anymore, his output as compared to the other workers is the only factor that matters.
So, is what Marx and Engels described about the relations of the worker true? Unfortunately for those of you looking for a future in business, yes.
I feel Marx and Engels create a somewhat truthful image of capitalism, yet they understandable overemphasize the negatives of a capitalist society to further get their argument across. The men portray a capitalist society as a civilization plagued by strife caused by strife between classes, saying “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles” (57).
ReplyDeleteWhile the Bourgeois can mean a variety of classes depending on what historical period one is referring to, The Communist Manifesto speaks of the bourgeois as the social class that is in charge of the means of production in a capitalist society. It is suggested that with the onslaught of increased commerce comes increased power for the Bourgeois, and in turn, increased oppression of the other classes. The book reads “And in proportion as industry, commerce, navigation, railways extended, in the same proportion the bourgeois developed, increased it’s capital, and pushed into the background every class handed down from the middle ages” (60). In a sense this is true today. As industry in the United States grew and grew, the upper class took control of that industry. Commerce is such a large part of our country today, those who control it essentially control the people and their wealth. The wealth tends to stay at the upper end of the social class, rather than being dispersed around. (which is commonly referred to as socialism)
Marx and Engles imply that the Bourgeois has torn away all personal relationships betweens humans and created a society in which money is the most important aspect of life. (62)This is exaggerated, but in principle, is quite accurate to modern life. I don’t think it is necessarily the fault of the upper class, but money and profit are so emphasized in modern society, all of us are left with this impression in our brain that with out extreme wealth we cannot lead happy or successful lives.
Despite these accuracies, I do think Marx and Engles slightly exaggerate for the purpose of accentuating the negatives of a capitalist society. Their views on this society seem to be very cynical, saying “ The executive of the modern state is but a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeois” (61) This statement portrays the president as having an inside connection with the upper class…this has arguably been true for some of our nations’ leaders but overall the job of a president is to represent our nation as a whole, and they usually do an adequate job of that.
In the first chapter of the Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels present capitalism in a rather negative light to make communism seem more appealing. They describe capitalists as an acquisitive "army" guided by mercenary agendas that destroys society for the purpose of personal gain. As the authors write, the bourgeois-led society has "drowned the most heavenly ecstasies of religious fervor, of chivalrous enthusiasm, of philistine sentimentalism, in the icy water of egotistical calculation"(61-62).
ReplyDeleteCapitalists are described as hungry dogs chomping at the bit to get ahead, while at the same time exploiting those below them and damaging all of society.
I would say that while Marx and Engels' description of capitalism is a bit unfair, it is somewhat accurate. Although Marx and Engels depict competition as the downfall of society, I agree with Jeff that as in American society it proves itself to be the incentive behind success. Even in our own lives as students, competition is a constant source of motivation in the academic field, in contrast to a communist version of the academic world, where there would be an absence of motivation to work hard because everyone would share the same outcome. Although sometimes capitalism is ruthless, the essence of capitalism is fundamental for success. Greed and drive, although a negative aspect of very driven capitalists, is necessary to the success of the economy. As shown on Wall Street, ruthless money-making driven by the sole human desire to get ahead is the forefront of society. Therefore, although Marx and Engels presented capitalism in a negative light, some of their points were valid.
The first chapter of Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto Marx describes society under the influence of the bourgeoisie. With bias, He states that society under the bourgeoisie influence becomes a society driven by personal interest and thrown into trouble by overproduction. He says that the bourgeoisie are ruining the natural superiority and the feudal system.
ReplyDeleteThrough all his critique, his bias causes him to overwrite the positives of the capitalist society as negatives so as to support his appeal for a communist society. He is blinded by his conviction. The capitalist society drives trade and industrialization. It allows people to become part of a system where promotion is possible. He even says to himself that ideas become common property, which is a good thing despite his opinion on it. The spreading of ideas betters society. Marx finds fault with the way the bourgeoisie have advanced society through capitalism all because of his bias towards an unmoving and unmotivated communist society.
However, as with all things there is fault. In the capitalist society, self interest usually works in favor of the wealthy. On the same hand, the system that allows people to advance also can cause people to get stuck in a mundane position where they are in some ways a commodity (as Marx refers to them). The overproduction crisis that he complains about is also somewhat real. In the capitalist society so much is made, too much in fact, that people do resort to exploiting people's weaknesses in order to get products sold. Karl Marx does present legitimate opposition to the capitalist society, but his bias causes him to overwrite the positives of it.