Communism: The Curse Of Existential Weightless

212 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: An essay about true happiness

Thinkers who prioritise meaning and authenticity often have an uneasy attitude to liberty, and Crawford is no exception. There is some psychological truth here: the more constrained our situation is (short of actual imprisonment), the more we seem to enjoy what we have, while near-limitless freedom often brings anxiety and a loss of joy and value. Being able to do what we like robs our actions of their weight. As Philip Roth observed in the 1970s of communist Czechoslovakia, in the unfree world “nothing goes and everything matters”, while in the west “everything goes and nothing matters”. Communism has (almost) gone now, but in the techno-utopia promised by Google and Facebook, we continue to suffer the curse of existential weightlessness.

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Analysis To Dr. William Ross

    770 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the 1950’s the Second Red Scare also referred to as McCarthyism was in full swing. Fearful of communist overtaking the United States almost everyone, including educators were scrutinized and affected. In the letter “To Dr. William Ross”, Katherine Porter is responding directly to Dr. Ross and his request for an Oath of Allegiance as a condition of her employment at Colorado State University. She is writing during a time when refusal to sign such an oath, often resulted in denial or loss of employment, and destruction of careers. In “To Dr. William Ross”, Katherine Porter effectively uses logos, ethos and pathos to support her claims, and persuade her audience that an oath of allegiance is not necessary for one to be loyal and allegiant to their country.

    Read More

  • The Book 1776 by David McCullough

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...hile African Americans went through journeys to escape the restrictions of their masters, women went through similar journeys to escape the restrictions of the men around them. Immigrants further strived to fit in with the American lifestyle and receive recognition as an American. All three groups seemed to shape up an American lifestyle. Today, all three of these perceptions of freedom have made an appearance in our lives. As we can see, the transition of freedom from race equality to gender equality shows that freedom has been on a constant change. Everyone acquires their own definition of freedom but the reality of it is still unknown; people can merely have different perceptions of freedom. Nevertheless, in today’s society, African Americans live freely, women are independent, and immigrants are accepted in society. What more freedom can one possibly ask for?

    Read More

  • Theme Of Freedom In Alif The Unseen

    1242 Words  | 3 Pages

    People are terrified of the power that freedom gives them, and even the people who desire freedom are described as “acolytes,” which makes them seem driven by something they don’t understand, in servitude to something else, the opposite of what it means to be free. The Hand’s interpretation of the world is supported again by Alif’s growth throughout the novel. At first Alif is convinced that he covets true liberty from the state for himself and the dissidents around him. He protects people from the Hand and fights State security in a way that sparks revolution. Yet when the revolution actually breaks out Alif realizes “he could talk about freedom but would readily have settled for familiarity” (384). A world full of freedom seems rosy from behind a computer screen, but Alif is scared of that would actually entail. He wants the familiarity of the government controlling the people, enforcing class distinction within society. A world without class and structure in which anything is possible is frightening and extremely far from what is familiar and natural. The Hand’s interpretation of humanity supported by Alif’s personal journey conveys the message that humans’ yearn for classes and order inspire a deep seated fear of liberty and all it

    Read More

  • Unincorporated Man And A Clockwork Orange Analysis

    1490 Words  | 3 Pages

    As Madeleine L’Engle aptly said, “because to take away a man's freedom of choice, even his freedom to make the wrong choice, is to manipulate him as though he were a puppet and not a person,” taking away freedom of choice is equivalent to stripping off humanity. Mankind has evolved to have the ability to use the mind for reason and understanding, which separates humans from beasts and machines. It is this ability that allows man to analyze and formulate different choices, and have the freedom over them. Despite the knowledge that freedom of choice is fundamental in making humans human, social control has always been one of the leading reasons to justify the removal of that freedom. Through showing the need for the loss of freedom for social stability and the resulting problems, both The Unincorporated Man and A Clockwork Orange highlight the conflict between control and freedom.

    Read More

  • Write An Argumentative Essay On Thomas Paine

    807 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many would typically conclude that there is a trade-off between basic liberty and safety. In today's society, technology has been a predominant part of our lives that gives us the freedom to say and speak freely. But when our sense of trust in the liberty we live in is broken it breaks our sense of security. A recent example of this can be seen when the government collects data from our phone calls and text messages. The government claims to collect personal information in an effort to protect ourselves from criminals and terrorists. This idea should be rejected against the masses because our own personal security should not be violated and the liberty to text and say what we want should not be looked into. Liberation is not something we should take for granted. Liberation is a commodity people in history fought for and die for. Liberation is the power to act, speak, right and do as one pleases. Liberation should make us feel secure in a nation that is supposed to protect us and our rights and privacies. When we give someone information to convey our personal information, that's not just a violation are on our personal lives but I freedom of speech. We give the government permission to read what you typed and listen to what we say. We give up our own personal liberties to gain a temporary

    Read More

  • Understanding the Communist Manifesto: Social Stratification & Capitalism

    548 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels was first published in 1848, with an easy to understand language and a simple structure (brief introduction, followed by three chapters and a conclusion short); it contained the main ideals of communism. It was written from a meeting between Communists of many Nations, and published in several languages.

    Read More

  • Comparison of Civil Disobedience

    3701 Words  | 8 Pages

    ... reflects the accomplishments made in four centuries. While man still does not have absolute free speech, he is not so suppressed that he must hide his feelings by literary means.

    Read More

  • Communism In The U.S.

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    Karl Marx, author of The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital, was the originator of the political and economic theory of Scientific Socialism (modern Communism). Communism, by definition, is the complete control of major resources and the means of production by government, initially in the form of autocracy. In theory, under this system all would be equal; all would share in both work, according to their ability, and profit, according to need. According to Marx, the proletariat, or working class, would revolt against the bourgeoisie, or wealthy capitalist class, because of the stark contrast prevalent between the wealthy and poor. The new economy, run by and for the people, would produce not for profit, but for the needs of the people. Thus, abundance would rule. Marx further predicted this revolution would occur in Western Europe, the most industrialized and capitalist portion of the world.

    Read More

  • The Similarities Between Communism And Communism

    1209 Words  | 3 Pages

    Communism is an economic system where, in theory, ownership of everything (e.g. goods, industrial products, businesses, farm produce, etc.) is collectively by the Government and the payment of income is only based one’s need. In communism, individuals have little say or on say at all on what to produce, not even owning anything since ownership is only by the Government. Communism is a socio-economic structure based on classless, stateless society where the means of production are on common ownership. Therefore, communism is the idea of free society where there is no divisions, humanity is not oppressed, no need for Government or countries. A citizen earns according to their needs and gives according to their abilities to do so.

    Read More

  • Socratic Communism

    671 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the course of history there have been numerous ideas and designs for the structure of a community. Democracies and dictatorships are two examples of designs for the structure of a community. There are many political structures that are very successful, as well as other political structures that fail due to lack of support or the way the political system is structured. There also exist community structures that only exist theoretically. One type of community structure that is theoretical is Socrates idea of a just society. Socrates' design is referred to as Socratic communism. Socrates' claims that in order for a society to be successful; every aspect of the society must work in harmony with all other parts of the society. Socrates' puts a heavy emphasis on a censored education, the abolishment of family, class divisions and the use of lies. Socratic communism is advantageous because it creates a society that is fully functional and one that has no tolerance for discontent among its members.

    Read More

  • Perspectives on Freedom in Poetry by Emily Dickinson and Harriet Jabos

    1481 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nothing in life is guaranteed, but the one thing that humans demand is freedom. Throughout history, there are countless cases where groups of people fought for their freedom. They fought their battles in strongly heated debates, protests, and at its worst, war. Under the assumption that the oppressors live in complete power, the oppressed continuously try to escape from their oppressors in order to claim what is rightfully theirs: the freedom of choice. In Emily Dickinson’s poems #280, #435, and #732 and Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, freedom is represented by an individual’s ability to make their own decisions without the guidance, consultation, or outside opinion of others in order to find their true sense of self. Once an individual is physically and spiritually free, they can find their true sense of self.

    Read More

  • Capitalism vs. Communism: an Everlasting Debate

    966 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is a long-running debate about whether communism or capitalism is preferable and shows more of beneficial aspects. Capitalism is defined as an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations. While communism is a system of social organization in which all economic and social activity is controlled by the state. The principle of capitalism is if one is successful and hardworking will keep improve and progress in life. While the principle of communism is to keep all the people the same, a lot of people may say that this is a good thing but when talking about real life this would add laziness and demotivation because hardworking people would gain the same credit as lazy people. Capitalism and communism are the two main economic systems that are used by governments nowadays. Obviously capitalism is a much better economic system to be used by a state; practical uses and statistical facts qualify capitalism as much more successful. Also, capitalism is more beneficial to the state, common citizens, and business owners. It would be very useful to test the two systems according to practical uses of the two systems on states and monitor which states succeeded and which states failed.

    Read More

  • The Rise Of Communism

    846 Words  | 2 Pages

    There were many events that lead up to the Bolshevik Revolution. First off, in 1848, Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels published a thought-provoking book. The Communist Manifesto expressed their support of a world in which there was no difference in class. A world in which the workers and commoners ran the show and there was no high and supreme ruler. Many intellectual Russians began to become aware of this pamphlet as well as the advanced state of the world compared to Russia. Other countries were going through an industrial revolution, while the Czars had made it clear that no industrial surge was about to happen in Russia. The popularity of the Czars further went down hill as Nicolas II’s poor military and political decisions caused mass losses in World War I. Eventually, the citizens could take no more and began a riot in St. Petersburg that led to the first Russian Revolution of 1917.

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis Of The Communist Manifesto

    1432 Words  | 3 Pages

    The second section of The Communist Manifesto is the section in which Karl Marx attempts to offer rebuttals to popular criticisms of his theory of governance. These explanations are based upon the supposition that capitalists cannot make informed observations upon communism as they are unable to look past their capitalist upbringing and that capitalists only seek to exploit others. Though the logic behind these suppositions are flawed, Marx does make some valid points concerning the uprising of the proletariat.

    Read More

  • Satire in Brave New World

    1113 Words  | 3 Pages

    If we start letting simple freedoms go, we could lose some major ones. Works Cited Huxley, Aldous. A. & Co. Brave New World. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006.

    Read More

More about Communism: The Curse Of Existential Weightless

Open Document