Question
KARL MARX AND THE BIRTH OF SOCIALISM Laissez-faire economics caused the gap between the wealthy and poor to widen. As compa- nies grew, workers became more alienated from their employers and came to resent the fact that their labor was enriching factory owners while they, the workers, struggled to survive. National and local governments of the era provided little or no relief. Often the working classes were viewed with distaste and fear by the governing elite. It is not surprising that the working classes viewed laissez- faire economics with suspicion. The values of indi- vidualism preached by the wealthy were of small comfort to those born in poverty. Karl Marx was among those who proposed a different ideology. Marx was not the first socialist or even the best known of his time but his ideas became the foundation of communist theory in the decades following his death. In 1847 he worked with Friedrich Engels to write The Communist Manifesto. Init Marx stated that man lived in a state of nature that forced him to struggle for survival. To succeed in this struggle, men formed relationships with those who had similar interests. resulting in the formation of classes. Marx felt that control of wealth was the most important aspect of a group's position in society. He saw all of history as the story of struggles between different classes for the control of wealth. The Industrial Revolution had changed the class structure of society. Marx saw two new classes as the most important in the struggle . Marx described the conflicting groups as the bourgeoisie (factory owners and the middle class)and the proletariat (factory workers). Marx was sympathetic toward the proletariat. Marx saw that the changes brought about by the Industrial performed repetitive unskilled tasks at their machines. In Marx's opinion , the proletariat were the Revolution had alienated the workers.Rather than having the pride of skilled craftsmen , they vibrant, creative class that powered the economy while the bourgeoisie acted as parasites. Marx believed that conflict between the proletariat and bourgeoisie would grow and that eventually the proletariat would violently overthrow the bourgeoisie. He wrote, "the proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have the world to win. Working men of the world, unite!" After the revolution, he believed that all people would work together toward the common good. All people would contribute their labor, and all would take what they needed National boundaries would disappear, and different classes would cease to exist because everyone would be equal. These socialist ideas were quite attractive to the working class. Some workers did not accept Marx's ideas of revolution , but they did see the value of banding together to negotiate for better conditions. Others accepted his ideas about a coming revolution and worked toward that goal. Marx became recognized as the philosophical father of communism. Communist revolutions took place in several countries . Russia, China, Vietnam, and several other nations have had communist governments in the twentieth century but the world revolution and classless society that Marx envisioned has not occurred. With its failure in Russia. it would appear that communism's days as a viable philosophy have ended.
Answer
4.3
(188 Votes)
Abel
Professional · Tutor for 6 years
Answer
Step 1: Identify the main points from the provided text about Karl Marx and his ideology.- Laissez-faire economics widened the gap between the wealthy and the poor.- Workers felt alienated and exploited by their employers.- Governments provided little relief to the working classes.- Karl Marx proposed a different ideology, which became the foundation of communist theory.- Marx co-authored The Communist Manifesto with Friedrich Engels in 1847.- Marx believed that history is a struggle between classes over the control of wealth.- The Industrial Revolution created two important classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.- Marx was sympathetic to the proletariat and saw them as the creative force of the economy.- He predicted that the proletariat would eventually overthrow the bourgeoisie.- Marx envisioned a classless society where people work together for the common good.Step 2: Extract the final answer based on the main points.Answer: Karl Marx, along with Friedrich Engels, authored The Communist Manifesto, which laid out the principles of communism. Marx's ideology was based on the belief that history is a series of class struggles, primarily between the bourgeoisie (factory owners and middle class) and the proletariat (factory workers). He was sympathetic to the proletariat and believed they would eventually lead a revolution to overthrow the bourgeoisie, resulting in a classless society where everyone would work for the common good. Although communist revolutions occurred in several countries in the twentieth century, the global revolution and classless society Marx envisioned has not come to pass, and with the failure of communism in Russia, it seems that communism as a viable philosophy has lost its influence.