The Communist Manifesto (1848) - Marx

Question 1

The Communist Manifesto (1848)

What significant events influenced The Communist Manifesto?

Answer 1

1. French Revolution - a time of social and political upheaval in France where the nature of political power was redefined - many people were impoverished
2. American Revolution - Democracy was emerging in America while monarchism was rejected in the UK
3. Industrial Revolution - beginning of modernisation and globalisation with new markets, technology and demands; but wealth was not distributed equally and many people were suffering

Question 2

What was the purpose of the Communist Manifesto?

Answer 2

• to capture the collective feelings of resentment from poverty and suffering

Question 3

What is private property (capitalist mode of production)? How does Marx view it?

Answer 3

• The exclusive ownership of modes of production
• The proletariats lack ownership over these modes of production
• Marx thinks it is the “root of all evil”

Marx didn’t actually call it “the root of all evil”

Question 4

According to Marx, why is private property bad? Why abolish it?

Answer 4

1. Exploitation: extraction of surplus value from the proletariat’s labour for the accummulation of the bourgeoisie’s wealth, fuelling the interests of the bourgeoisie
2. Class conflict: constant competition over distribution of wealth, control and power between the bourgeoisie and proletariats
3. Alienation of the workers from the product they create and feel disconnected from the labour they perform (more in EP Manuscripts)
4. Commodification of labour: Labour becomes a commodity and workers become dehumanised (more in Das Kapital)
5. Abolition of private property would liberate proletariats from the alienation and exploitation related to the capitalist social relations.

Question 5

Who are the bourgeoisie? What are they driven by?

Answer 5

• the capitalist class who owns the means of production in a capitalist society
• they control the means of production to generate profits
• they are driven by the accummulation of capital. The relentless drive for profit is a defining characteristic of capitalism

Question 6

Who are the proletariats?

Answer 6

• the working class in a capitalist society
• they sell their labour to the bourgeoisie in exchange for wages
• they rely on wage labour for their livelihood

Question 7

What does Marx say what happens in every historical epoch?

Answer 7

• at every stage of history, there is conflict/class antagonisms between the exploited and the exploiting
• this struggle has reached a stage where the oppressed can no longer emanicpate itself from the class which exploits it
• those who benefit from the conflict is only the bourgeoisie
• the class antagonism is a driving force in historical development, leading to social change and evolution

Question 8

What does the bourgeoisie do to the proletariats?

Answer 8

• the bourgeoisie exploits the proletariats by extracting surplus value from the labour of the proletariat
• the proletariats produce more value through their labour than they receive in wages

Question 9

What did Marx believe the proletariats would do when faced with class struggle?

Answer 9

“The proletariats have nothing but to lose their chains. They have a world to win”
* Marx believed they would form a political class of their own to overthrow the capitalist system
* He believed the proletariats would subvert the hierarchies and be at the top of society

Question 10

The Communist Manifesto (1848)

What are the aims of communism?

Answer 10

• form the proletariat into a class
• abolish private property
• overthrow the bourgeoisie supremacy
• conquest of political power by the proletariat

Question 11

What were the proposals in The Communist Manifesto?

Answer 11

1. Abolition of private property for land and public use
2. Progressive or graduated income tax: the more money you make, the more taxes you should pay
3. No inheritance because inheritance passes on the wealth from one generation to the next which gives an unfair advantage; everyone should share the wealth!
4. Emigrant and rebel lands confiscated
5. National Bank with Power to Issue Credit - Some of the most offensive acts of theft (e.g. people’s pensions and savings were sent to pockets of the rich people and no one was prosecuted) are done by banks
6. National banks regulate whose money is lent to and check if lenders using the money productively
7. Communications and Transport run by the State
8. Factories controlled by State
9. Everyone Must Work
10. Free Education

Question 12

What are the common criticisms of communism?

Answer 12

if we eradicate private property,
1. individuality vanishes (but we’re already robots under capitalism)
2. communists are lazy (but laziness is defined by the bourgeoisie)
3. we will lose cultural diversity
4. families will be destroyed (but families have been prostituting their children)
5. what about education? (but education liberates us from ruling class values)
6. women will become sluts (but Communism liberates women from alienated domestic labour)
7. Religion will be eliminated (but religion is the opiate of the masses)

Question 13

from Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right

What is Marx’s view of religion?

Answer 13

“Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.” (Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right)

1. Expression of Real Suffering: Marx acknowledged that religion often arises as a response to the genuine suffering and hardships experienced by people.
2. Protest Against Real Suffering: At the same time, Marx saw religion as a form of protest against the injustices and inequalities present in society. It can be a way for the oppressed to cope with their conditions and express discontent with the status quo.
3. Opium of the People: The metaphor of religion as the “opium of the people” suggests that, like opium, religion can function as a soothing and numbing agent. Marx argued that religion can provide a temporary escape or consolation for individuals facing difficult circumstances. It might offer a sense of comfort, hope, or meaning that distracts from the harsh realities of life.
4. In Marx’s view, true liberation would come not from religious consolation but from addressing the social and economic conditions that lead to oppression and human suffering.