Consider, my dear viewers, a world.
A world without money, without class divisions, where everyone gives according to their abilities
and takes according to their needs. Sounds pretty sweet, no? To German poet and philosopher
Karl Marx, such a Communist utopia was not only possible, it was inevitable- or what
he called “the march of history”
Though deeply influenced by Hegel, who proposed that history develops
through the abstract concept of “World Spirit”, Marx believed that it is not conflict of ideas
that propels history, but rather, conflict of our relation to material goods, that will
bring history to it’s end- specifically, our working conditions. Marx calls this historical
process “Dialectical Materialism.”
Initially, humanity was concerned only with the most basic acts of our species-
producing for personal survival. But as the population multiplied, “economic systems”
were established to address the needs of all.
And with economics, an individual’s relationship to the products they create changes-
for one is no longer producing for their immediate needs. They are producing for others.
Fast forward to the industrial revolution where mankind created mechanisms
to fulfill the needs of many with unprecedented efficiency. These mechanisms, or “capital,”
are owned by individuals leading to enormous concentrations of wealth.
And for the tired worker who must operate these machines, there is no getting
ahead. For in order for the capitalist to maximize profit, he must pay the workers little
more than is necessary to survive.
To Marx, this economic system of capitalism thrives on exploitation and creates
widespread unhappiness through what he calls “alienation”.
For starters, I am alienated from the fruits of my own labor. If I create a
turnip, it will be sold to another, and in exchange I will be paid a wage and become
as much of a commodity as the thing I produce. Thus, I am removed from my work. I do not
see MYSELF in my labor.
Capitalism also alienates us from each other. For the workers produce efficiently,
the capitalist tells them they are in constant competition for their job, thereby turning
our fellow man in to an adversary, rather than an ally.
Furthermore, capitalism alienates us from our very nature. Creating is a great source
of satisfaction for our species. But because we are forced
to make things that have no personal investment in, our lives become a burden.
As time goes on, and industrial powers become increasingly concentrated among
a select elite, the gap between the working class and the capitalists will only become
wider. To Marx, this gap will eventually become so pronounced that the workers, in their profound
frustration, will rise up and overthrow the oppression of the few and usher in a new society-
a society in which there is no private property, there are no
class divisions, Where peoples’ labor is held for the common good and where all work
according to their ability. And that, my friends, is Communism.
Even today, Marxism is one of the
most powerful ideologies in the world. And to some, the ushering in of the Marxist utopia
still lies in the not-too-distant future.