Proletariat vs. Bourgeoisie in Karl Marx's The Communist Manifesto

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Proletariat vs. Bourgeoisie in Karl Marx's The Communist Manifesto

In The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels attempt to explain the reasons for why there is class struggle and suggest how to prevent class separation. According to Marx there are two different types of social classes: the bourgeoisies and the proletarians. The bourgeoisie are capitalists who own the means of production and the proletarians are the working classes who are employed by the bourgeoisies. Due to their wealth, the bourgeoisies had the power to control pretty much of everything and the proletarians had little or no say in any political issues. According to Marx, the proletarians population would increase and they would eventually rise above the bourgeoisie and hold a revolt against them. The proletarians would base this revolt with the help of 'faith and reason.' With the help from The Communist Manifesto, the proletarians realize the conditions they are in by being overpowered by bourgeoisies. The proletarians now have the reasons to ask questions about origin, order, and their purpose of life. Also, they could raise questions about meaning, truth, and value. Through 'faith and reason' the proletarians will be able to overthrow the empowerment of the bourgeoisies.1

Marx expressed many views about the over empowerment of the bourgeoisies in The Communists Manifesto. Marx believed that the working class was not getting paid what they deserved for the quality of work that they were producing. Marx thought that the all workers should be paid the same rather than by social position. For instance, Marx thought that a mineworker should be paid as much as a doctor. Marx states, ?The average price of w...

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...ower by the proletariat.2 Marx then tries to eliminate the power of the Bourgeois by eliminating property. Without private property the Bourgeois cannot control business and create capital.

Overall, the proletarians had very different and more dreadful lifestyles then the bourgeoisie. The proletarians had very bad working conditions and were paid low wages. On the other hand, the bourgeoisie were the social power and could control mostly everything to keep them at absolute power.

Works Cited

1 www.as.udayton.edu/hbase/themes.htm

2 Karl Marx. The Communist Manifesto

3 www.classicnotes.com

4 Dennis Sherman and Joyce Salisbury. The West in the World.

5 Briefs, Goetz A. The proletariat; a challenge to western civilizatoin

6 www.schoolhistory.org.uk/IndustrialRevolution/womenancchildren.htm

7 Sombart, Werner. Bourgeois.

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