A Response to Karl Marx | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

A Response to Karl Marx

A philosophical look to the Manifesto of the Communist Party

115
A Response to Karl Marx

“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.”

The spectre of Communism is still haunting the world even today. Summing up Marx in two sentences: Class battles are the characterizing injustice and state of human nature. We, the low class proletarians, must rise up through a fierce and sudden insurgency and oust our bourgeois capitalist oppressors. It is adequate enough to say that that I was distressfully frustrated with Marx's contention. To such an extent that I neglect to trust that anybody beyond high school age could consider him important even on a hypothetical premise. Maybe a century and a half’s viewpoint is at fault. Possibly, I'm losing the idea behind Marx's premise. It could basically be that the statement is a side-effect of the modern upheaval that looks very senseless in "post-mechanical" America.

If the major goal of communism is to eradicate social classes, why does it temporarily aim to establish the proletariat as the ruling class? This is because once the proletariat gains power it will someday voluntarily abdicate said power for the greater good of society. No ownership of land, a heavy income tax, no rights of inheritance, seizure of all property from "rebels" (whatever that means...presumably political enemies) and emigrants, centralized credit and capital in the hands of the state, state ownership of the means of transportation and communication, establishment of 'industrial armies', equitable distribution of the populace in town and country, and an abolition of child labor with concurrent establishment of public education (which I must admit, I do agree with). Such a strategy will ALWAYS lead to a totalitarian government that needlessly and wantonly causes suffering and economic hardship for the vast majority of its citizens.

One last issue I have with the manifesto is that it draws an excessive number of generalizations in regards to behavior. While the working class may have diminished work to a product, Marx lessens that work to a multitude of automation that have no human aspect to their products. He argues on the aftereffects of their impending uprising as though working force labor will be united to such a degree, to the point that the activities of one will be the activities of all. So, it dehumanizes the laborers of the revolution to a similar extent that the entrepreneurs have dehumanized these same laborers in their industries.

The guarantee of a distinguished, yet extravagant, future, some have argued that, similar to Fascism, Nationalism and numerous religions, Communism offers a dream of an unachievable impeccable future, and keeps its subjects charmed to it by degrading the past and the present. It argues that it speaks to a generally accepted fact which clarifies everything and can cure anything, and any evident deviations or non-performance are clarified away by fallacy and passionate interests. I would argue that Marx's concept of freedom is really just a defense of tyranny and oppression, and not an expansion of freedoms as he claimed.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

198116
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

19593
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

461437
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

28618
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments