The Theology of Karl Marx, Essay Example

My personal view of sociology is that political, economic, and ethical systems should be used for the creation of a society that provides the greatest good for the greatest number of people. because most aspects of sociological theory connect, at some point, to economic theory, those theorists who address the central role that economics and class-struggle play is sociology and human history provide the best insights into actual, real-world social issues. Given this premise, the philosopher Karl Marx stands out as one of the most important and original theorists in the history of sociology. Although many people are probably familiar with Marx as the “father” of modern communist and socialist philosophy, Marx actually offered a comprehensive understanding of class-struggle through human history. His work also detailed the specific ways in which economic and political systems are used to conserve economic and political power for a small number of elites while the labor and creativity of the worker remained exploited.

By studying the theories of Karl Marx it is possible to gain a vision of global politics and global economics that stands in obvious conflict with basic presuppositions that many Westerners, and particularly Americans, seem to cherish. These same suppositions are part and parcel of the established mechanism of oppression that keep the worker continually enslaved to an ownership class of society. In her article, “Karl Marx and the Tradition of Western Political Thought” (2002), Hannah Arendt observes that Marxist thought poses no less than a revolution against the whole of Western philosophy and Western political tradition. She writes, “Each of the three statements by Marx–Labor is the Creator of Man, Violence is the midwife of History, and No one can be free who enslaves others–is revolutionary” (Arendt, 2002). However, what is key to remember in this context is that the “revolution” referred to by Marx is not only one of bloodshed, but one of thought.

This is evident in the first statement “Labor is the Creator of Man.” By this assertion, Marx meant to suggest that there is no higher accomplishment or function in human society than labor. In fact, Marxist theory operates from the underlying conviction that labor is the cornerstone and foundation of human scoiety as whole. Arendt reminds us that for Marx, “the assumption of the productive force of labor [forms] the foundations of human society.” (Arendt, 2002) This radical inversion of traditional Capitalism leaves little or no room for the elite ruling class. The dignity and nobility of labor is interchangeable in Marxist theory with the underlying and basic equality of all people. universal equality is considered as a fact, rather than an abstract notion, by Marx, Therefore, the empirical political and economic theories that are espoused by Marx take as their starting point the idea that labor is the true “currency” of any society and that all are equal in their labor.

The idea of universal equality si very closely connected to Marx’s idea of slavery. To Marx, the idea of exploiting a worker’s labor in order to create material profit for an elite class is an abomination not only of morality, but of nature. Because human-beings are viewed as being universally equal by nature,  “Marx’s demand that nobody should be called free who rules over others is in complete agreement with the fact of universal equality” (Arendt, 2002). This is a highly significant and novel contribution by Marx to modern sociology. The idea that universal equality and the equality of labor should be taken as fundamental principles of society — rather than idealistic theory — means that Marxist theory is not only revolutionary, but it is pragmatically revolutionary. In other words, the inclusion of basic Marxist principles into any sociological or political system that is existence in the world today would cause the destruction of the existing system altogether.

These two fundamental ideas: that labor is the basis of societal value, adn that all people are truly equal according to nature, brings about the conditions of thought and cues to action that would result in at the erection of a new vision of society. The third principle mentioned above paves the way for implementing the revolution of ideas. This third principle is that “Violence is the midwife of History.” And it is this principle that brings Marxist thought to a truly urgent framework. This is because Marx is not only admonishing us to read history as the history of class-struggle, but to determine future events by allowing our knowledge of history to motivate our future actions. This paints a picture of “”the warfare of labour and capital [which] mounts in intensity to a final wild crescendo of violence” (Tucker, 1971, p. 203). Such a vision is an accurate depiction of a Marxist view of history.

Marxist philosophy stands as a warning to humanity that the pragmatic application of dignity in labor and universal equality are realities that the ruling class would like to keep hidden from the worker. It is a fact that, in Marxist philosophy, “Workers may have to return force for force, violence for violence. No miracles are to be expected. Long struggles before victory are foreseen.” (Riemer, 1987, p. 103). This shows that Marxism is nothing if not a practical and empirical philosophy. As such it provides the most comprehensive and most meaningful frameworks for sociological insight into the political and economic conditions of the global community. By simply considering the three principles of Marxism outlines above, the average reader will walk away with a changed vision of the role of economics, labor, and individual freedom in the context of human society. If these same three principles were implemented as the starting points of all societies and political systems, the world would, indeed, undergo a revolution that would eliminate the waste of the “ruling” classes and replace this useless caste of society with a caste-less society. thereby emancipating the world’s population from political adn economic enslavement of the useless rich.

References

Arendt, H. (2002). Karl Marx and the Tradition of Western Political Thought. Social Research, 69(2), 273+.

Riemer, N. (1987). Karl Marx and Prophetic Politics. New York: Praeger.

Tucker, R. C. (1971). Philosophy and Myth in Karl Marx. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.