"The Argument for Communism"

Essay by grtrus2883University, Bachelor'sA+, April 2006

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In this reading, Karl Marx argues that capitalism will eventually fail and we will naturally evolve into a communist society. He argues for this by citing some of the various evils of capitalism and their effects on the proletariat. Marx states that under capitalism the proletariat is exploited by the bourgeoisie and forced to live in poverty. According to Marx the natural conditions, which arise under capitalism, are going to force several things to happen within the psyche of the proletariat workers. He lists four mental conditions stemming from the oppression of capitalism, which are alienation from the product of labor, alienation from the process of production, alienation from the human species and alienation from each other. Marx believed these things will cause a revolution of the proletariat and a communist society will eventually form. However, even though the natural evolution of society is towards communism, Marx advocated a quicker transformation.

Marx urged the proletariat to quicken the advent of communism and fight their bourgeoisie oppressors. He believed that the transition would be violent, but this was a price worth paying because it would end the dehumanization of men by the capitalist machine.

Unfortunately for Marx, one thing that can be immediately noticed about his work is that it has been over a century since it was first published and therefore we have the advantage of hindsight when evaluating his arguments. I agree with his conclusion that our somewhat capitalist society will eventually evolve into a communist form of government. On the other hand, I strongly disagree with his reasoning and I violently disagree with his assertion that the proletariat should hasten the change and revolt now. First, when Marx wrote his theories of economics the workers were being heavily exploited by capitalism by working long hours in horrible conditions...