Karl Marx and the Ideal Society Essay - 2547 Words

Karl Marx and the Ideal Society One of the greatest debates of all time has been regarding the issue of the freedom of mankind. The one determining factor, for Marx, it that freedom is linked with class conflict. As a historian, Karl Marx traced the history of mankind by the ways in which the economy operated and the role of classes within the economy. For Marx, the biggest question that needed to be answered was â€Å"Who owns freedom?† With this in mind, Marx gives us a solution to both the issues of freedom and class conflict in his critique of capitalism and theory of communism, which is the ideal society for Marx. His theory of communism is based on the â€Å"ultimate end of human history† because there will be freedom for all humankind.†¦show more content†¦Marx dismissed the relevance of all but two of these classes, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, because they didnt have any real impact on society as a whole. They werent in a position to exploit labor. His theory focuses on the conflict and antagonism between those who owned the modes of production, the bourgeoisie, and those who were forced into selling their labor to them, the proletariat. As Marx saw it, class is about the transfer of surplus (profit) from below and the exercise of power from above. The class with the means of material production also has the means of intellectual control. Those in charge have a political doctrine to control their interests, at whatever cost. This led to what Marx terms brain colonization. The concept of ideology was used in the defense of capitalism. It was a strategy used to support the system and keep the workers concerns quieted. Liberalism was the ideology used by the bourgeoisie. Marx said, Liberal ideology is used to blind the workers to the injustice of exploitation. It was an official veil to persuade the masses that they are free by extolling the myths of progress to them. They argued that since slavery was no longer used for labor, the workers were indeed fre e. The workers were also told to find happiness and freedom through religion for their material conditions were asShow MoreRelatedWhy Karl Marx Thought Communism was the Ideal Political Party716 Words   |  3 PagesWhy Karl Marx Thought Communism was the Ideal Political Party Karl Marx was brought up in a Jewish community and society in his early years. His father was a lawyer, although he was descended from a long line of rabbis. As opportunities for Jews decreased Karl Marxs father, Herschel, decided to convert from Jewish to Lutheranism, which was the Prussian states religion. The Marx family was very liberal and often held intellectual conversations and was introduced to a lotRead MoreAdam Smith And Karl Marx1055 Words   |  5 PagesDerek Ding Economy Ms. Walsh Period D Adam Smith and Karl Marx Adam Smith and Karl Marx are famous for their influential and prominent theories about economics. 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