Philosopher's Impact on Marx and Engels
One part of human nature is to want to gain more power. Within this idea there are many parts. First is the need for humans to overcome nature. Another part is gaining more territory. The more land a man has, the more powerful he feels. Lastly, having control over their own lives and the lives of others contributes to whether or not they feel powerful. This concept can be seen in The Communist Manifesto. Marx and Engels are discussing the industrial revolution.
This may seem far from the ideas of humans overcoming nature and gaining more power; however, it is not. The industrial revolution came about because of the need to expand. The reason they needed to expand was because they wanted more power. The power hungriness in humans, however, can often get out of hand. This is shown in the industrial revolution. People, the bourgeoisie to be more specific, became so greedy that it did not matter whom they used to gain more power. This is the situation that Marx and Engels try to rectify. Not only are human’s actions affecting nature through pollution, but they are also affecting society itself. People are living in poverty and filth, and the upper classes are making no advances to stop it. This is what motivated Marx and Engels to publish their thoughts. Marx and Engels were influenced by many philosophers, the most influential, however, was G. W. F. Hegel. Hegel was so influential that in order to analyze the other philosophers one must do so through Hegel’s interaction with them.
Marx especially, shares many of the same views with Hegel although they do differ on certain issues. “Despite Marx’s never-ending attack on Hegel, the Marxian conception of history is Hegelian through and through.”1 Hegel’s philosophy is focused on the criticism of Kant and Fichte, two other German philosophers. Engels once wrote “We German socialists are proud that we trace our descent not only from Saint Simon, Fourier, and Owen, but also from Kant, Fichte, and Hegel.”2 To this list one must also add Ludwig Feuerbach who Engels wrote about later in life. These philosophers had the most influence on Marx and Engels. Their philosophies are all interrelated. In fact many of their works either criticize or build upon one of the others previous works.
The Marx-Engels Reader by Robert C. Tucker is an anthology containing essential writings of German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Major writing selections are to understand Marx perspective about history and society, such as The German Ideology. Marx introduces his historical materialism philosophy in the German Ideology: Part 1 of this book, where he proposes communism. Although I agree with a few points Marx gives, I cannot accept his overall conclusion that communism is the only way to become truly free. Marx suggest abolishing private property ownership and remove economic power from the hands of privileged people to accomplish freedom.
Marx, Karl, Friedrich Engels, and Robert C. Tucker. The Marx-Engels reader . 2d ed. New York: Norton, 1978. Print.
Society is flawed. There are critical imbalances in it that cause much of humanity to suffer. In, the most interesting work from this past half-semester, The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx is reacting to this fact by describing his vision of a perfectly balanced society, a communist society. Simply put, a communist society is one where all property is held in common. No one person has more than the other, but rather everyone shares in the fruits of their labors. Marx is writing of this society because, he believes it to be the best form of society possible. He states that communism creates the correct balance between the needs of the individual and the needs of society. And furthermore thinks that sometimes violence is necessary to reach the state of communism. This paper will reflect upon these two topics: the relationship of the individual and society, and the issue of violence, as each is portrayed in the manifesto.
How did the development of modern societies through the division of labor lead to various forms of ownership, and what are some examples Marx and Engels give of the various stages of ownership?
Diagnosing an individual with DID can take several years. “Due to the variety of [Sophia’s] symptoms, accurate diagnosis puzzled not only her but also the practitioners from whom she sought help.” (Fox, et. al., 2013) It is estimated that people with dissociative disorders have spent more than seven years in the mental health system prior to receiving an accurate diagnosis. With this complex psychological disorder, misdiagnosis is common because the series of symptoms that cause an individual with a dissociative disorder to search for treatment is very comparable to those of multiple other psychiatric diagnoses. As a matter of fact, many people who are diagnosed with dissociative disorders also struggle with secondary diagnoses of depression, anxiety, or panic disorders. (Goldberg, 2014) For example, “dissociative symptoms commonly co-occur with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and the prevalence of DID among outpatients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) was 24% in two separate studies.” (Chelbowski & Gregory, 2012) Again referring to the case study Recovering Identity, Sophia describes her diagnosis, “I was diagnosed with everything. I was schizophrenic, schizoaffective, borderline, bi-polar, ADHD.” (Fox, et. al., 2013) Clinicians perceived her unwillingness to accept
Dissociative identity disorder, a condition that has plagued and altered the minds of those who were diagnosed for many years, represents the condition in which an individual displays multiple personalities that overpower his or her behavior around others and even alone. Such personalities or identities can have staggering differences between them even being characterized by a disparate gender, race, or age. One of the sides of them can even be animal-like and display feral qualities. Also, the disorder severs the connection between the victim’s sense of identity, emotions, actions, and even memories from their own consciousness. The cause for this is known to be a very traumatic experience that the person had gone through previously and fails to cope with it, thus they dissociate themselves from the memory in order to keep their mental state in one piece. All these results from the disorder do not begin to tell of the rest of the horrors that gnaw away at the affected human.
However, there are two major theories that give an understanding in the cause of DID. The Post-Traumatic model of DID suggests that it originates from severe trauma during childhood or adolescence. This trauma can be disorganized attachment, chronic neglect, and abuse (Vissia 2016). These experiences cause the formation of alters within the person as a defense mechanism. The second theory is known as the sociocognitive model, also known as the fantasy model (1). This model suggests that people who are diagnosed with DID are the product of their environment. Meaning, they are influenced by social and cultural factors that create or maintain the disorder. In this model, the person does not know, or think, that they have alters until it is suggested by a professional or another person in the patient’s life. It is at that point, they begin to believe that the do have alters which leads to diagnosis of DID. Unfortunately, the long-term prognosis for DID is not great, regardless of treatment method. However, there are treatment methods that can improve the symptoms. Ultimately, it is possible for alters to fuse, in others words they merge into their host personality. Yet they very rarely become unified
The indicators of BPD are dramatic and obvious. Those suffering from it tend to be significantly unstable in their interactions with other people as well as their behavior when alone. Impulse control and ability to discern moral decisions are significantly deteriorated in those with BPD and they are often destructive toward themselves and their relationships with others, if not outright violent. Casual contact with a sufferer of BPD might be deceptive because many are able to appear stable, but rapid and unpredictable mood and behavior shifts are common. Neglect and abuse, particularly sexual, are seen in almost all who are diagnosed with BPD. The lack of attachments during developmental years results in an inability to form or value attachments later in life. While reduced hippocampal volume is a brain deformation associated with PTSD as well as BPD, BPD also presents with a reduced amygdala volume which is possibly the cause of the notably increased aggression and reduced emotional stability of those with BPD (Lieb et al., 2004, pgs.
Many people may wonder what specifically defines Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). This disorder is a mental illness that involves the sufferer experiencing two or more clear identities or personalities, also called alters, each of which has their own way of seeing and connecting themselves to the world (1). This disorder was formally known as Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), and is frequently called split personality disorder (1). The actions of victims with DID are determined by the personality that is dominant at a specific time (7). “In the category of Dissociative Disorder there are four main disorders: depersonalization, derelization, dissociative fugue and dissociative identity disorder (8). Furthermore, “DID is a severe form of dissociation, a mental process, which produces a lack of connection in a person's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity” (www.webmd.com). Having a thorough understanding of the meaning of DID is exceedingly significant for the doctors that diagnose and treat patients.
Dissociative Identity Disorder, or DID, is defined as: “The result of a marvelously creative defense mechanism that a young child uses to cope with extremely overwhelming trauma” (Hawkins, 2003, p. 3). Ross describes DID in this way: “In its childhood onset forms, the disorder is an effective strategy for coping with a traumatic environment: It becomes dysfunctional because environmental circumstances have changed by adulthood” (1997, p, 62). What types of traumatic environments are we talking about here? Often children who form DID are involved in some sort of abuse. These types of abuses can be physical, sexual and even ritual. Such abuses are not meant for children to have to endure, however, the mind is able to deal in effective ways to allow the child to bear such intolerable environments. As one examines this subject, one finds that there are varied opinions on DID, however, it is important to understand the nature of DID, types of DID as well as DID symptoms and healing in adults.
The growing recognition of psychiatric conditions resulting from traumatic influences is a significant mental health issue of the 1990s. Until recently considered rare and mysterious psychiatric curiosities, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) (until very recently known as Multiple Personality Disorder - MPD) and other Dissociative Disorders (DD) are now understood to be fairly common effects of severe trauma in early childhood, most typically extreme, repeated physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse.
British political economy was brought about by the social analysis of early capitalism by writers such as Adam Smith and David Ricardo. (Bilton, Bonnett, Jones, 2002, p.476) Using these concepts as a base to his theories, Marx further argued against the capitalist regime and was a firm believer of the revolution of the workers which would one day bring about the destruction of capitalism. Marx was also influenced by the philosophical ideas of Georg W.F. Hegel. However, unlike Hegel who was an idealist Marx was a materialist as he believed that the processes of reality as real, concrete existences in the social world. Hegel believed that although these processes were dynamic, they were an expression of development rather than being solid.
Each personality is well developed which is usually divided into the host and the alters. The switch usually happens when the alter needs to be there to handle reality. It happens instantly without the host realizing it. In most cases, when the switch happens, the alter knows everything about the host, including his internal conflicts while the host knows nothing about the alter. The alter is fully aware of the host’s thoughts and actions. DID is a psychological defense against trauma. The process of dissociation in DID sufferers is through repression. Because of a traumatic experience, someone could repress the unwanted memory because he or she could not bear to deal with it. There is a formation of personalities created by the sufferer to get something he or she wants to achieve or the form of anticipation for the things he or she does not expect to happen. Indeed, each personality that is formed has different functions and intention. After the formation of personalities, the switch among the personalities usually happens when an alter needs to be there to help the host in handling
Dissociative Identity disorder, DID, is a disorder in which a person experiences a variation of changes in one’s memory, identity, feelings, actions, or conscious. Dissociate identity disorder was perviously known as Multiple Personality Disorder until 1994 where the name was changed to give a better understanding of the condition. It was felt that Multiple Personality Disorder name was more characterized by the separation of identity than the growth of separate identities. It is very rare in life, and is thought to originate from severe trauma during early childhood by the person with the disorder. The aspect of dissociative is thought to be a mechanism for coping. A person with dissociative identity disorder is literally separati...
He developed the socio-political theory of Marxism. One of his most famous works is The Communist Manifesto, which he co-wrote with Friedrich Engels. In The Communist Manifesto, Marx discusses his theories on society, economics and politics. He believed that “all societies progress through the dialectic of class struggle”. He criticized capitalism, and referred to it as the "dictatorship of the bourgeoisie".