Utopian socialism

What is Marx’s concept of ‘Wage Labour’ and the relationship of the worker to the capitalist, as he describes it in ‘Wage Labour and Capital’? I believe that Marx’s concept on ‘Wage Labour’ is the amount of value received in the work that was carried out. The wage that is given to the worker is the amount of money that is paid by the capitalist who is the boss, who then gives that money to the labourers which are the workers. Marx explains the key concepts of a ‘Wage’ and he also compares…

PART 2  Through the understanding of the main text Laborem exercens, I gained an insight into the concept of the working class or lower level of society lacking the necessary resources to attain all their desirable needs. The dignity of the work and the rights of the worker plays an important role and due to their profession, this should not result in the exploitation of the workers by the authoritative figures. The text placed emphasis on how there should be physical/social barriers placed…

Marxism and the Conflict Theory Marxism and conflict theory, although are different concepts in the study of Sociology, are two ideologies that often go hand-in-hand, and rely on each other to function. While marxism studies how one’s capitalist economy is reflected through various institutions in one’s society, and the constant competition between two groups for both economical and political power, the conflict theory is more interested in how people of power (aka the bourgeoise) maintain…

Ayn Rand’s (1905 – 1982) personal philosophy, Objectivism, was directly impacted by the political influences she was exposed to throughout her upbringing, namely Russian socialism and, as an adult, American capitalism. Objectivism holds that: reality exists as an objective absolute, man is an end to himself and his purpose in life lies within satisfying rational self-interests, and laissez-faire capitalism reigns supreme over any other form of economy. She preaches that one must live a “selfish”…

The Capitalistic Need to Consume "Advertising is the very essence of democracy (Anton Chekhov)". Advertising has become a weapon for consumption and in a capitalistic society, consuming is the measure of a healthy economy, so the more we consume, the better off we are. The short story "Subliminal Man, by J.G. Ballard is set in a dystopian future where people are constantly consuming. In this world, a car or appliance is owned for only a few months at a time before being replaced. Huge signs…

In analyzing the written works of Jane Addams’ Democracy and Social Ethics and Karl Marx’s Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 and The German Ideology, they portray how their theories can impact change within a society. While the basic structure and framework of society of society has remained consistent throughout, there are certain elements of society that are consistently subject to change. These authors address these changes as they pertain their theories to the functions of society…

In this essay I will explain Karl Marx’s conception of the development of the bourgeoisie, the development of the proletariat and where Marx sees this struggle leads to. I will also explain the bourgeoisie's relationship to feudalism. I will then discuss how capitalism has limited human freedom and what Herbert Marcuse thinks capitalism has done to individual humans. At the end, I will analyze Marx and Marcuse’s criticisms and I will explain my opinion on their criticisms. Karl Marx is an…

Louis Althusser is among the most influential Marxist philosophers of the 20th century. Althusser has been studied profusely as he laid the foundation for the concept of ideology – a major term in language and media studies. The working definition of ideology is that it is “ideas that legitimize currently existing power relations in society” (Torres, 2017). Each person from the second they are born are immersed in ideology. From that moment forward, ideology surrounds the individual every day…

James E. Cronin, in his essay, “Labor Insurgency and Class Formation: Comparative Perspectives on the Crisis of 1917-1920 in Europe” examines the complex causes of mass labor protests across Europe during the early post-World War I period. The idea that this period of unrest was caused solely by hardships of the war, Cronin argues, is too simplistic. Rather, it was this concept in addition to the organization of workers within a factory setting, as well as the creation of a working-class culture…

Greg Mankiw argues, “wealth inequality is not a problem in itself”. Wealth inequality is the unequal distribution of income and assets in society. Inequality is inevitable in any society, but there are conflicting views on if wealth inequality is a problem for our democratic society or a natural and necessary part of freedom and capitalism. As discussed in the plenary, conservatives view wealth inequality as a good thing, arguing it reflects freedom, fairness, and efficiency of the free market…