Marx s Criticism Of Capitalism - 1282 Words

According to Karl Marx in the Economic and Philosophic Manuscript of 1844, â€Å"the only wheels which political economy sets in motion are greed and the war amongst the greedy - competition.† A capitalist society, defined by the systems of competition and private ownership, is divided into two classes - the â€Å"property owners† and the â€Å"propertyless workers† (701). In this system, workers suffer from exploitation and alienation, while capitalists grow wealthier and more powerful. In 2011, Occupy Wall Street was a mass protest movement that raised issues of increasing economic and social inequality: this form of resistance argued that the system of capitalism had provided a basis for these problems. In the following paper, I will use the issues of stark wealth inequality and unequal power distribution brought up by the movement, in order to prove that Marx’s criticisms of capitalism remain incredibly relevant in today’s society. First, I will explicate Marx’s criticism of how capitalism estranges â€Å"man from man† (705), causing false consciousness and class division; then, I will describe his criticism of how capitalism causes economic disparity and unequal distribution of power between the â€Å"bourgeoisie† and the â€Å"proletariat.† Second, I will use those criticisms and relate them to the Occupy Wall Street Movement in order to prove that Marx’s challenges remain relevant in contemporary capitalism. Last, I will state how politicians should consider Marx’s challenges in order toShow MoreRelatedThe Communist Manifesto By Bertell Ollman953 Words   |  4 Pagesanswers are frequently unclear and vague. Since socialism emerges out of capitalism as a result of a successful struggle against it by the working class, the specific measures introduced by the revolutionary socialist government will depend on the particular economic especially, social and political conditions at t he time. 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