Post #6: Marx

Explain why Marx thinks capitalism is immoral. What does he envision as a moral society?

Marx posits that the history of the world is that of “class struggles.” In all societies throughout history, there have been the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie possessed the means and thus dictated life for the proletariat. Yet, capitalism was different. Marx thinks capitalism is immoral because “for exploitation, veiled by religious and political illusions, it has substituted naked, shameless, direct, brutal exploitation.” Marx continues that capitalism turned everyone into a “paid wage laborers.” Gone were the artisans and craftsmen and professionals, reduced to wage earners barely scraping out an existence in a world were “work increases” and “wage decreases.” In a capitalistic world, the wage earner is destined to become “a pauper, and pauperism develops more rapidly than population and wealth.” Also, capitalism was responsible for reducing the “family relation into a mere money relation.” The proletariat family is unable to own property in a capitalistic world and most times, children were exploited while forced into labor for monetary gain. Finally, capitalism sets up a society that insures one doesn’t move beyond his class. “The modern laborer, on the contrary, instead of rising with the process of industry, sinks deeper and deeper below the conditions of existence of his own class.” In summation, capitalism is immoral because it “impedes human flourishing.”

According to Marx, “Property, in its present form, is based on the antagonism of capital and wage labor.” Marx continues that property, more than anything, is “a social STATUS in production.” In other words, “it is social power.” For this reason, Marx’s vision of a moral society is a society where there is no such thing as private property. Marx thinks that the removal of the idea of private property is the first step in the general direction of the removal of class struggle in society. Eliminating private property would change the character of the society because it would change the character of ownership. Private property, thus, becomes “common property.” Another point of contention from Marx on what would contribute to a moral society is that of “wage labor.” Marx thinks the concept of minimum wage is implemented for no reason but to keep the labor alive in order to continue the increase of capital. Marx contends that continuing implementation of minimum wage makes the laborer more and more dependent upon the bourgeoisie and robs him of his existence, his individuality, and his freedom. The elimination of the minimum wage is to guarantee a better existence for the laborer. Marx thinks that the proletariat will not be forced into labor, he will, instead, contribute to society based on his experience and ability and, in turn, instead of being paid a paltry earning, he will receive what he needs to live a comfortable existence. This change in appropriation will impact familial relations and stop the exploitation of children both in the labor market and in the classroom. Marx further continues that with the removal of private property into “common property” and the undoing of a “living labor” via the elimination of minimum wage, culture as whole will change.