The Communist Manifesto
Posted on January 31, 2008 - Filed Under College, Philosophy, Politics |
I’ve finally got around to reading the damn thing, that vile source of so many of the 20th century’s woes. Frankly, I find it totally redundant in today’s world. If Marx ever did have a point, then over a century of incremental societal reforms have taken it well and truly away from him. Now his and Engels’ angry screed is nothing but a collection of out-dated talking points for the disaffected, a guide to sabre-rattling against the sea. I’m only around halfway through it, so maybe it picks up in the latter part, but so far I’m not in the least bit impressed. It’s no wonder that Communism collapsed given that so much of it was based on the thoughts of this crazy old coot.
Not that I’m reading it with anything less than a wide-open mind…
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5 Responses to “The Communist Manifesto”
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How about some specific examples for those of us who have no intention of reading it?
It doesn’t pick up in the latter half, and as you say it is redundant in the 21st century. Useful for studies of the era it was written in but unlikely to give one a fresh outlook on the world today.
Depends on what you mean by ‘fresh outlook’ - I haven’t read the whole manifesto myself but the basic analysis of capitalism is pretty accurate…
shuldnt you be reading biology?
His analysis of capitalism may contain a grain of truth to it, but the way he presents it as a fundamental struggle between classes is not relevant in today’s world.
Ironically, Marxism is dealt its mightiest blow by history (or ‘History’), which Marx and his stooges claimed was on their side. Today, history is perhaps the greatest argument against Marxism, since the philosophy was given a fair crack of the whip for 80 years and accomplished nothing to very little. That’s the core of my Marxism essay for this term, or at least it would be if I hadn’t been told that my critique has to be primarily philosophical. I might just write it like this anyway though.
I am reading biology too, rest assured.