Discussion Topic
The main arguments in The Communist Manifesto
Summary:
The Communist Manifesto argues that class struggles are the driving force of historical developments. It advocates for the overthrow of capitalist societies by the proletariat, leading to a classless society. The text criticizes the exploitation inherent in capitalism and calls for the abolition of private property, suggesting that this will end economic inequalities and lead to communal ownership of production means.
In The Communist Manifesto, what is the basic argument in Chapter One?
Chapter One of The Communist Manifestoopens with the famous line: "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles," and this sets the tone for what follows.
At the start, this chapter explains and charts the history of the two social classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. According to Marx and Engels, the two classes have historically taken many forms, including the "patrician and plebeian" of the ancient world and the "lord and serf" of the middle ages.
As Marx and Engels explain, however, this relationship is based on one class's exploitation of the other. Specifically, the bourgeoisie have dominated and exploited those below them, the proletariat. They have done this through the establishment of "modern industry," which has replaced traditional forms of manufacturing goods. Instead, goods are produced in the factories and workshops of the modern world which have transformed the proletariat from...
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artisans into paid laborers.
Furthermore, to ensure that this system of paid labor cannot be undone, the bourgeoisie have ensured a constant demand for their goods. They have created huge urban centers, have improved communication and colonized lands abroad to make sure that there are hordes of people who want to purchase their goods. In turn, to meet this demand, the bourgeoisie have taken control of the means of production (the factories which produce these goods) and have created a division of labor so as to make production more efficient.
But this has an important effect on the proletariat. According to Marx and Engels:
"Masses of labourers, crowded into the factory, are organised like soldiers. As privates of the industrial army they are placed under the command of a perfect hierarchy of officers and sergeants. Not only are they slaves of the bourgeois class, and of the bourgeois State; they are daily and hourly enslaved by the machine."
With this in mind, Marx and Engels have an important message; that society cannot continue to exist under this system and that eventually, the proletariat will realize their exploitation and rise up:
"What the bourgeoisie therefore produces, above all, are its own grave-diggers. Its fall and the victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable."
This idea sets the scene for Chapter Two.
What are the main arguments in The Communist Manifesto?
A manifesto is a document stating the core beliefs of a movement, be it artistic or political.
The Communist Manifesto, published in 1948, states the core Marxist belief that history is on an unstoppable path toward communism, a stateless society without private property and characterized by social and economic equality.
Right now, the manifesto argues, history is in a capitalist stage, in which a few very wealthy people, called the bourgeoisie, own the means of production and have cornered most of the capital (money and resources) in the society. They exploit the masses of people who actually create their wealth through labor.
The bourgeoisie are afraid of the "specter" of communism, which is casting its shadow across Europe, and so are producing lies about the communist movement—lies which the manifesto dispels. Communism is not about "free love," for example. It is about state ownership of banks and large industries, the end of child labor, free universal education, and the end of inheritance. As we might note, some of these demands, such as the end of child labor and free public education through high school, have already been implemented by the twenty-first century (at least in the most developed countries) without a violent overthrow of the existing order.
Finally, the manifesto calls for the working-class people to rise up in revolution, saying they have nothing to lose but their chains.
The communist manifesto attempts to explain the basic tenets of Communism. It argues that class struggle has been the driving force of history, and that the sides are determined by the era’s means of production. A revolution occurs when one side emerges as the ruling one. Karl Marx, the pamphlets author, said that the industrial world was characterized by class conflict between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. He suggests that a class war is coming where the proletariat will lead a revolution and emerge as the dominant class.
Marx recognizes though that this working class has no way of appropriating property since they do not own anything themselves, so they will have to destroy all private ownership and therefore class itself will disappear.
The manifest argues that Capitalism is unstable and that a movement to Communism is inevitable. They also argue that only revolution can bring these changes.
There are four core ideas in Marx's Communist Manifesto: class struggle, dictatorship of the proletariat, historical materialism, and internationalism.
Class struggle: Marx believed that conflict between the upper classes and the working classes would eventually destroy capitalism and pave the way for communism.
Dictatorship of the proletariat: This is a theory originally coined by the socialist revolutionary Joseph Weydemeyer but adopted by Marx for his manifesto. It refers to the initial stages of a proletariat post-revolution, when he claims the state must act firmly (for example, by taking control of production) to prevent a counterrevolution.
Historical materialism: Marx's theory of historical materialism contends that society passes through five stages of materialism: primitive communism, slave society, feudalism, capitalism, and communism. These stages do not develop in line with the ideology of a society, but in line with the economy of a country. As Marx stated,
We call communism the real movement which abolishes the present state of things. The conditions of this movement result from the premises now in existence.
Internationalism: Marx saw communism as a movement that would unite the working classes throughout the world. Hence, he concludes his manifesto with the line "workers of the world unite." However, this not merely a call to garner support. Since capitalism had become a global system, he firmly believed that communism had to become a global system in order to defeat it.
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