Karl Marx: Father of the Communist Movement
Karl Marx was alive from 1818 to 1883. He was the father of the communist movement and a revolutionary economist and philosopher of German ancestry. Marx's writing centered on the tremendous industrial transformation that served as its backdrop. Numerous manufacturing communities were expanding quickly and becoming overcrowded with the working class, who were mostly living in extreme poverty. Marx saw history as a never-ending struggle between oppressors and the oppressed. According to Marx, when one class succeeds, the rest of society will eventually be free. This essay seeks to highlight Marx's understanding of revolution and his distinction between proletarian and bourgeois revolution. Marx advances his view of a revolution using two groups of people, i.e., the owners of the means of production (or the bourgeoisie) and the industrial workers (or the proletariat). Marx held that the bourgeoisie exploited the workers. He acknowledged that the industrial workers are the sources of wealth enjoyed by the owners of capital (Van De Veer 367). The manufactured products from the industries sold at a price higher than the amount the workers' salaries. For instance, the factories could pay $2 to produce one yard of cloth which retails at $5 in the market. Through this process, the capitalists who are the owners and controllers of production capital earn a profit. Nevertheless, the labor force does not receive anything from value addition and in effect fail to benefit from the outcomes of their effort (Van De Veer 368).
Capitalism: A Self-Destructive System
Further, Marx held that capitalism was self-destructive. He outlined how the wealth of the capitalist emanated from the hard work exerted by the .working class. In that sense, the existence of bourgeoisie relied on the underclass. Moreover, Marx predicted that the continuous underpayment to the working group would result in massive resentment which will finally create a revolution against wealthy capitalists (Van De Veer 368). Eventually, the struggle would result in the overthrow and destruction of capitalism. The rise of a classless society will follow the fall of capitalism constructed on the idea that: the nation will benefit according to individual abilities and each will benefit according to their needs. The community with such characteristics ensures that wealth, land, labour, industry and land are equally distributed among all people. All members of society have equal educational opportunities, and the social stratification will disappear. People would harmoniously live together and the government position would disappear (Van De Veer 369).
The Bourgeoisie and Proletarian Revolution
At the time when capitalism was rising, the bourgeoisie revolutions arose to break the oppression which the feudal system presented to them and cleared the way for capitalism. The bourgeoisie revolutions of this period cemented the political and economic leadership of the bourgeoisie (Kluge, Alexander, and Oskar 80). Primarily, Bourgeoisie came about as a result of disagreements between the first productive forces which grow within the feudal framework and the productive feudal links and the feudal organizations. Nevertheless, the conflict hides within the ideological and political controversies. Besides, amidst the Bourgeoisie resentment arise because of the quest to break foreign oppression and the hunger to unite the country (Kluge, Alexander, and Oskar 80).
Different Types of Bourgeoisie Revolutions
Various bourgeoisie revolutions took place to solve different problems. However, most of them happened to bring solutions to the agrarian issue. The example of these includes the Russian revolution of 1905 to 1907 and the Great French revolution(Kluge, Alexander, and Oskar 80). Others come to pass because of the desire to have national independence, such as the case of the 16th and 18th-century Dutch and American revolutions respectively. Besides others take place because of the need for state unification such as in the case of Italy and Germany in the middle of the 19th century (Kluge, Alexander, and Oskar 81). Further, others take place to break the oppressive chains of imperialism in the 20th century which took place in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Also, political responsibility is an equally significant factor-the democratization of society, the erection of the bourgeoisie republic and breaking of the monarchy state (Kluge, Alexander, and Oskar 82. When the people recognize the need to stage a bourgeoisie revolution, the readiness of the social forces to execute the rebellion becomes very vital. These types of coups do not involve a single act but a series of events which last for months and years and have taken several years to ripen (Kluge, Alexander, and Oskar 82).
The Role of the Bourgeoisie in Revolution
In the initial bourgeoisie rebellions and other resentments of the 19th century, the bourgeoisie powered the revolts by banking on countering brutality advanced by the feuds, on artisans and the then growing working class (Bryer 113). The bourgeoisie stood at the forefront and played the role of the leader and guide to the masses. The bourgeoisie fought against the feudal property did not risk destroying private wealthy because they were asset owners. At this point, the most zealous group was the toiling lower social cadre and the people living in the rural setup. The most significant accomplishment of the bourgeoisie was the seizure of the initiative (Bryer 113).
The Decline of the Bourgeoisie Revolution
The advancement of the proletariat class and growth of capitalism made the bourgeoisie lose its revolutionary feature. The first self-driven action of the French working class in 1848 compelled the bourgeoisie to betray the direction of the rebellion. As noted by Lenin, a follower of Karl Marx, the bourgeoisie wanted to bring an end to the bourgeoisie struggle prematurely before attaining the desired results by trying to collaborate with the old authorities (Bryer 114). The strive centered on the class interest of the bourgeoisie. At this point, the European revolts of the mid-19th century concluded in defeat because the proletariat had not reached a point of taking leadership roles (Bryer 113).
The Rise of Proletarian Revolution
During the era of imperialism, in both the less and more developed capitalist states started being anti-revolutionary because of the proletariat wary who threatened their dominance. They stopped being a moving force and begun fighting for dominance diverting the course of the revolution from the direction of revolutions (Adamson 36). It is at this point that the proletarian revolution gained momentum. The working class had grown both ideologically and in numbers and organized themselves into a single political party with the capacity to lead the revolutionary movement (Adamson 36).
Role of Proletariat in Colonies and Dependent Countries
In colonial and dependent countries, the proletariat played a revolutionary and progressive role even in the middle of imperialism particularly during the fight against foreign capitalists. The working folks constitute the most zealous revolutionists because they form the largest group in the population (Adamson 36). The thoroughness and depth of democratic and social reformation of a society rely on the working group to gain dominance at critical moments and then establish collaboration with the peasants together with other progressive forces. The type and scope of the bourgeoisie revolution center primarily on the degree of engagement of the working majority who participate in it (Adamson 36). In case the bourgeoisie manages to counter the advancement of the working majority's struggle for their political and economic and separate them from engaging in political solutions, then the bourgeoisie revolution is more of a surface revolt, and their primary agenda is enacted without completion because they involve a lot of compromises. The Turkish and Portuguese of 1908 and 1910 respectively are the best examples of such insurgencies (Adamson 36).
Strategies of Proletarian and Bourgeoisie Revolution
The two classes, the proletarians and the bourgeoisie utilize different strategies in their various mutinies. Therefore, the capitalists classified as most liberal frequently apply the methods geared towards parliamentary and ideological struggle. The approach which describes the proletarian uprising includes armed rebellion, barricade fights, demonstrations, and strike (Adamson 37). For instance, Lenin states that the 1905-1907 upheaval in Russia as a proletarian revolution because of the techniques employed in the struggle. Nevertheless, the methods used in revolutions do not only rely on the revolutionary forces but the acts of the ruling elite, commonly characterized by violence which in return sparks the beginning of public battles (Adamson 37).
Power and Outcomes of Revolution
The primary issue in any revolution is about power. The bourgeoisie revolution irrespective of its fundamental duty of ensuring the free advancement of the capitalist ideals, it frequently ends up facilitating the transfer of power from the nobles to the capitalists. However, a revolution undertaken under the watch of the proletarians may lead to the installation of the democratic dictatorship of the peasantry and the proletariat. While evaluating the outcomes and the historical importance of all bourgeoisie revolt, one must take into account its direct and indirect impacts (Adamson 38). Often, the consequences of a bourgeoisie revolution are a steady economic and social gain, unlike in the working class system. In many instances, a bourgeoisie revolution leads to the reinstatement of the overthrown ruler and the capitalist authority which imposed itself during the transformation succeeds. The best examples of these include the French and English revolutions of the 18th and 17th centuries respectively. However, this does not happen in the proletarian resentment (Adamson 38).
Power and Class Consciousness in Proletarian Revolution
Karl Marx holds that it is class consciousness which powers the proletarian revolution. Besides, he postulates that it is the best, most experienced, intelligent and most combative members of the proletarian class who can independently and directly gain class consciousness in its potent form. The acquisition of this knowledge impacts all layers of the working social class particularly the students and the revolutionary leaders who idealize and propel the rebellion (Adamson 39).
Technology and the Proletarian Revolution
Marx held that technology would be the vanguard for the proletarian revolution and thus as technological innovation in the industrial sector increased, the revolution drew closer and that it is at the peak of automation that the proletarian would emancipate themselves. Marx confessed that the nature of working-class organization witnessed in Paris formed the foundation of the poor workers' revolution (Kluge, Alexander, and Oskar 83). Besides, his writings confirm that he viewed the possibility of success in the proletarian revolution which closely associated with the automation of work in the industrial setting. After overthrowing capitalism, ownership of the means of capital, there will be the abolition of private ownership of property, the society will be classless, and the position of the government would not be necessary (Kluge, Alexander, and Oskar 83). Besides, the oppression acts from class to the other will not exist at the conclusion of the proletarian revolution. However, the much anticipated proletarian revolt in the developed sectors of the global economy did not come to pass. On the contrary, popular upheavals succeeded in countries which had no sophisticated industrial technology. For instance, in the wake of the Russian revolution, a massive 80% of the country's population engaged in agricultural activities (Kluge, Alexander, and Oskar 83).
Conclusion
Marx holds that the proletarian strive is a struggle which cuts across a country. Marx postulated that he followed the advancement of the proletarian issues in a covered civil war up to the point where it could no longer be veiled and stood a chance of overthrowing the dominance of the bourgeoisie. Marx spends a significant amount of time to illustrate the oppression of the worker. He posits that the capitalist employers view the workers as commodities who are only relevant if they can produce massive returns with no control over their labor. The worker's story is all about exploitation and as captured in various writings of Karl Marx. On the other hand, the bourgeoisie's revolution is much different; their revolution is powered with the motive of maintaining the status quo and driven by the need to preserve the private interests of securing their assets. In many instances, it ends prematurely as it entails a lot of compromises. Besides, Marx presents the unique characteristics of the proletariat as connected by better communication, they form the majority of the population in society, and all of them lead a miserable life. Further, Marx states that in their fight, they have nothing to lose since they do not own factories or any other means of production and therefore should be more zealous in their quest for a better society free from capitalist exploitation and oppression.
Works cited
Adamson, Walter L. Hegemony and revolution: A study of Antonio Gramsci’s political and cultural theory. Univ of California Press, 1983: pp.35-54
Bryer, Rob A. “Double-entry bookkeeping and the birth of capitalism: accounting for the commercial revolution in medieval northern Italy.” Critical perspectives on Accounting4.2 (1993): 113-140.
Kluge, Alexander, and Oskar Negt. Public sphere and experience: Analysis of the bourgeois and proletarian public sphere. Verso Books, 2016.pp. 79-87
Van De Veer, Donald. “Marx’s View of Justice.” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 33.3 (1973): 366-386.