Marxism Theory and Its Components
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engel are the founders of the socioeconomic theory that frames capitalism as a means of exploitation. The theory represents Marx's initial efforts of trying to understand social inequality and changes in the capitalist community. Marx addressed the philosophical, social and economic aspects of materialism. In their theory, the materialist approach argues that the working class are usually exploited by the wealthy and resource owners which leads to alienation. The two theorists both concluded that the social community they were living in was doomed and the social order would not last long. The theory has received a lot of criticism from various scholars. These criticisms arise from the fact that the next stage of capitalism anticipated by Marx and Engel did not come to pass. However, the theory of Marxism still remains relevant in the contemporary world. The theory still details the crises that face the modern economies with an example being the economic recessions that have been experienced in various economies of the world. This essay seeks to analyze the philosophical, economic and political components of Marx and Engel theory, the materialist approach, Engel's complementary theory and the critiques of the theory.
Major Argument and Evidence
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engel developed the theory of Marxism which is a social science that explains exploitation in the society. The theory addresses the issues of philosophical, economic and political aspects. The philosophy behind Marxism is materialism (Tucker, 1978). It is a system of laws which regulate the universe and details social changes and where the society is headed. Throughout the late eighteenth century, materialism was largely the common philosophy. A majority of leaders that fought democracy developed various idealism which would always revert to defending religion. Marx and Engel, therefore, defended philosophical materialism and would find faults in any deviation. Marx work developed Hegel's philosophical work even further which lead to the achievement of dialectic materialism. Marx changed the perceptions of the relationship between nature and the human society. The chaotic and arbitrariness were replaced by harmonious scientific relationships which detail that out of the order of the social aspect of society, a higher order develops and the society experiences growth.
Role of Economic Structures
The second component of Marxism is economic. According to the theory, political structures are erected from economic order. Therefore, the work on Capital is meant to understand the economic order of society. The capitalist society is characterized by, the accumulation of wealth, narrow class structures, alienation of workers, constant fall in profit and homogenization of labor (Tucker, 1978). The workers usually offer their services because they do not have any other option due to the lack of resources for production. The workers are compensated for their labor through wages. An increase in wage leads to increased production costs and, therefore, the owners of factors of production usually ensure that wage remains minimal. The political concept is based on the growth of economic divisions that will result in the proletariat overthrowing the bourgeoisie so that the workers can have power. Marx stated that the only way for the acquisition of private property is through the state's cessation in supporting the interest of the bourgeoisie. Eventually, the state will fizzle out and the proletariat will form a class and rise to power. It is through the change in power that social inequalities will decline.
Engel's Complementary Theory
Engel played a key role towards the development of the theory of social change. In his complementary theory, he sought to analyze the role of the family in supporting capitalism by analyzing their functions. In his view, the family reproduces material inequities and also reproduces the state which rules through political domination. He further developed two types of socialism namely utopian and scientific. The utopian form is idealistic and is a representation of the capitalist's opinions. The scientific type, on the other hand, is the reality of the capitalism that exists. Those who subscribe to the utopian view believe that they are articulating the universal truth for the entire humanity. However, in reality, their ideas are a representation of the bourgeoisie interests as opposed to those of the proletariat (Tucker, 1978). Therefore, the proletariat majorly represented those who subscribed to the scientific type of capitalism. The working class, therefore, begun to develop radical ideas and also had a utopian view that entailed the equal distribution of factors of production and the elimination of social inequalities. The working class will, therefore, rise to begin a revolution that will see them take power from the capitalists. This theory is similar to that of Marx in that they both conclude that the social class is unsustainable and antagonism is brewing that will result in a revolution.
The Tragedy of Alienation
The materialist approach by Carl Marx centers on the tragedy of alienation. Marx argued that the proletariats are usually alienated from their labor because of wealth and private property. Capitalism is divided into two classes; the owner of the means of production who is the capitalist and the worker for the capitalist. The capitalists usually exploit their workers which has a significant impact on the community and human dignity. Marx purports that capitalism usually leads to four types of alienation. The first alienation is between the worker and the labor. This arises because the workers do not work out of their free will. The second alienation is between the worker and the products because the produce of their labor does not belong to them but rather to the capitalist. The third alienation is between workers who are forced to compete with each other at the workplace rather than cooperate with each other (Tucker, 1978). Lastly, Marx purports that the last alienation of workers is from their human potential. Workers feel like they are obligated to work to survive. Therefore, they feel least human while performing these activities.
Criticisms of Marxism
Several scholars have criticized Marxism because the last stage of revolution failed to take place. Some individuals who advocate for democratic socialism disagree with Marx and Engel that socialism can only be achieved through class conflict or the revolution of the proletariat. Some believe that there are other ways that have been developed by the modern democratic world that can allow for the transition of power without necessitating conflict. Such methods include the election of top government officials by the whole population which democracy supporters believe represents the will of the people. Another criticism of Marx theory is based on his projections that the profit of the bourgeoisie will fall (Bakunin, 1953). Critics argue that this is not necessarily true because the bourgeoisies always ensure that they are able to maximize their profits while reducing their costs of production. This is the basis of the exploitation argument that was highlighted by Marx where the owners of factors of production ensured that the wages were low. This then indicates the inconsistencies in Carl Marx theory that consequently undermine his critique of the political systems.
Analysis and Evaluation
Strengths
Marxism is the foundation of the class system that we have in the modern society. One of the key strengths of Marxism is that it advocates for a social society that has an equal distribution of resources. It seeks to eliminate poverty in society as the state is the owner of resources which it allocates to the citizens through equitable means that reduce social inequality (Peters, 2001). Carl Marx developed his theory as a response to the exploitative society that led to the alienation of the workers and social inequalities. Through his theory, he outlines the effects of the lack of equality in the society which is a revolution. His theory has been a key catalyst of some of the progress that the society has made in the past and will continue to be a catalyst for future progress. After Marx and Engel developed the theory, Marx was often deported by governments. However, his work led to the development of sound labor parties and laws that aimed at improving the social status of the working class. The theory also contributes important knowledge for the field of philosophy, economics, and political science.
Weakness
The most significant weakness of the Marxism theory is that it fails to detail how the oppressed can use their conscientious to determine whether they are being exploited and how they can organize themselves to bring about change. The theory only details the plight of the working class. If the working class does not know that they are being exploited, it is futile to educate them about the theory. This is because they do not conceive that they have any problem and, therefore, will not act in any manner to free themselves from what they are unaware of. Marx and Engle also do not detail how people can organize themselves. In most cases, change needs a leader who gives the people something to believe in and a clear direction to follow. Without any clear way of organizing themselves, the working class might fail to revolt against their oppressors. While they may be aware of their current predicament, they may be more afraid of the alternative and, therefore, may end up maintaining the status quo.
Another key weakness of the theory is that it assumes that the proletariats who will rise to power will not be greedy. This makes the theory lack practicality in the real world. This is because it relies on the hope that those who take over power from the bourgeoisie will be just in running the state and will promote the equitable distribution of factors of production. However, this may not be the case as humans are usually greedy and the people who rise to power may still propagate the same injustices to the working class as they also seek to get wealthy. Therefore, the theory does not provide any checks and balances or a strategy that might encourage those who were once oppressed to be just and reduce social inequalities in the society.
Conclusion
Summing up, Marx's and Engel have made significant contributions towards the fields of philosophy, economics, and politics. While their theory has received numerous criticism, it has played a key role towards the contemporary society. The theory has revolutionized how the working class are treated and has seen the development of various labor laws which although they may not redistribute factors of production, they have ensured that there is fair distribution through measures such as compulsory minimum wage.
References
Bakunin, M. (1953). Criticism of Marxism. The Political Philosophy of Bakunin: Scientific Anarchism, 283-289.
Peters, M. A. (2001). Poststructuralism, Marxism, and neoliberalism: Between theory and politics. Rowman " Littlefield.
Tucker, R. C. (1978). The Marx-Engels reader. New York: Norton.
