A Comparison Of Karl Marx And John Locke

While not exactly identical, the theories presented by Karl Marx and John Locke surprisingly compliment one another. In the most extreme case, we could even argue that in the absence of Locke’s theories to form a precedent, Marx’s ideas would also be non-existent. They both hold baseline assumptions that power is maintained by the people, and that this power can be exercised by the collective cooperation of people. In this essay, we will examine the unique connection and compatibility which can be inferred from their works. In an attempt to organize our argument in a comprehensive manner, we will put each author on a linear spectrum, Locke forming the beginning and Marx representing the end. This way, we will try to emulate the realistic periodic

We can assume, just with this in mind, that his writing’s contextual framework will differ greatly from Locke, which is true. However, Marx’s ideas would not exist if Locke’s theories were not there to form a precedent. Locke centers his ideas around political sovereignty, Marx uses this concept and applies it to his unique context. Marx lived during the time of the industrial revolution, so he talks about economic sovereignty. One key difference that will, if we read their works casually, make most readers assume that Marx and Locke are incompatible, is Marx’s critique of private property. Even with that said, we can still argue that Locke complements Marx. Looking at their theories from the perspective of a linear spectrum, a question and answer standpoint, we can infer that Locke’s promotion of property rights based on one 's own labor is later challenged by Marx to argue against private property. Even though Marx was opposed to private property, in a capitalist sense, he still believed that there should be property owned, in a collective sense. Marx states that true freedom is achieved when man is able to contemplate himself in a world he created. Similarly, Locke describes that each man works in order to create a world that is his own, and thus becomes free through his labor. As mentioned, instead of searching and focusing on theoretical misalignment between

As mentioned earlier, Locke saw that the power was in the hands of the people over the civil government. Identically, Marx’s conceptualization of power is founded on the notion that the power of the proletariat was in their labor and their strength in numbers, urging for the working class to carry out action to topple the bourgeoisie. In The Communist Manifesto, Marx states, “The immediate aim of the Communists is…: Formation of the proletariat into a class, overthrow of the bourgeoisie society, conquest of political power” (Marx, p. 22). Locke and Marx would both agree that the majority had the power to affect the minority, if the majority is successfully