DJ Hadoken’s Perspective:
Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Theories of Human Nature
Written by DJ Hadoken
Karl Marx envisioned an ideal social structure. His views are capable of manifesting in the real world only if they are implemented properly.
The view of a classless society is the ideal. Society itself works towards the common good and not individual advancement. People would be free to follow the career they desire; they would enjoy their jobs and thus increase their standard of living.
Marx is correct in his view that society cannot move from capitalism to his ideals in one step- there must be a transition phase in which one ruling power allows for the changing of sociological ideas. It is at this point where countries that have tried to adopt the Marxist form of communism in the past have failed. Power is abused and their social structure falls.
Perhaps Marx’s views may have failed in the past because of a lack of resources to carry out the means in reaching his ideal goals. If a social revolution took place today, with the aid of new technology and new means of communication, Marx’s views may have a better chance of becoming a reality.
But I can agree with the counter-view that capitalism today is not as hostile towards workers as it was during Marx’s time. It has incorporated some of Marx’s ideals and the standard of living for many people has increased drastically.
The view that capitalism is relatively unstable also seems to be untrue, as the United States’ system appears to be very stable with no threats of collapsing. This further emphasizes the fact that capitalism has improved drastically since Marx’s time.
Capitalism is also a necessary function of progress, because capitalism encourages efficient production methods, where a society based on Marx’s ideals would most likely have a slower and less efficient production rate. This is because the vast majority of people would be working in jobs they enjoy; there would be less competition and less pressure to be more efficient, because all workers would more or less be earning the same income.
Regarding human nature, individual behavior is indeed determined by not only factors within the self, but also by factors within society. How an individual progresses throughout life is determined not only by their mental conditions, but also by what society expects of them, what social class they belong to, and how they see themselves as fitting and playing a role within society.
An individual feeling alienated from work, within a capitalist society, will behave differently in a certain situation than would an individual who does not feel alienated from their work, in a Marxist society, in the same situation. An individual progresses throughout life with some sense of one’s place within the social ladder. And much like gender has an influence on behavior, social status too, can have a great affect on one’s actions.
Marx’s views present an image of an ideal world for the individual. Where social class does not exist, where one does not feel the need to act according to what society expects of them, because society will expect no more from them than they would from another person.
Although Marx’s views provide for this ideal world, until his views can be adequately and permanently introduced into society without violent social upheaval, capitalism will remain as the truly ideal form of social and economic society.
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