Marx and Engels - Key Ideas (1818–83) & (1820–95) (OCR A-Level Politics): Revision Notes

7.3.2 Social Nature and Communism (Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels)

The core pillars of Marxism:

1. Social class is central to socialism

2. Human nature is socially determined

Core Pillars of Marxism

1. Social Class is Central to Socialism

Historical Materialism

• Historical and social developments can be explained in terms of economic and class factors.
• The economic system conditions all aspects of society.
• At each historical stage, there was an intellectual clash.
• This clash spawned a new society with a new mentality and a new stage of history that would survive until the next wave of alienation.

Class Struggle as the Engine of History

• According to Marx and Engels, all historical development is driven by the conflict between different social classes over control of the means of production.
• This struggle is seen as the primary force behind social, economic, and political change.

Stages of Historical Development

• Primitive Communism: Early communal societies with no class distinctions.
• Slave Society: Dominated by a class of slave-owners exploiting enslaved people.
• Feudalism: Characterised by a land-owning aristocracy exploiting serfs.
• Capitalism: Defined by the bourgeoisie (capitalist class) exploiting the proletariat (working class).
• Socialism/Communism: The final stage, where the proletariat overthrows the bourgeoisie, leading to a classless society.

2. Human Nature is Socially Determined

Alienation under Capitalism

• Marx and Engels contended that humans are alienated from their true nature due to the exploitative conditions of labour.
• Workers are separated from the products of their labour, from their fellow workers, and from their own potential, leading to a distorted sense of self and social relations.
• This alienation prevents individuals from fully realising their potential as social beings because their lives are dominated by the pursuit of profit rather than the fulfilment of communal and humanistic needs.

True Common Humanity under Communism

• Communal Relations and Cooperation:
  • Marx and Engels envisioned communism as a classless, stateless society where the means of production are collectively owned, and social relations are based on mutual cooperation rather than competition and exploitation.
  • Under communism, the alienation experienced under capitalism would be abolished, allowing individuals to fully express their humanity through creative and cooperative endeavours. People would work not for personal profit but for the common good, aligning their interests with those of the community.
• The End of Exploitation:
  • In a communist society, the exploitation of labour, which Marx and Engels saw as central to capitalism, would be eradicated. This would free individuals from the dehumanising conditions of wage labour, enabling them to develop and express their full potential.
  • Without the pressures of economic survival, individuals could engage in activities that genuinely reflect their interests and talents, contributing to the well-being of society as a whole.
• Realization of Human Freedom:
  • Marx and Engels believed that true freedom could only be achieved under communism, where individuals are free from economic constraints and social hierarchies. In this context, freedom is understood not just as the absence of external constraints but as the ability to fully participate in and contribute to the life of the community.
  • This vision of freedom includes the idea of self-actualization, where individuals can develop their capacities and live in harmony with others, fulfilling the collective needs of society.
• Expression of Common Humanity:
  • Communism, according to Marx and Engels, allows for the expression of a "common humanity" where social bonds are strengthened by shared interests and goals. The artificial divisions created by class, property, and power would be dissolved, leading to a society where individuals relate to each other as equals.
  • In this ideal society, human nature is fully realised, and individuals can live in a way that is true to their social essence, characterised by collaboration, solidarity, and the pursuit of common goals.

3. Society and Revolution

Society under Communism

• Society should be a classless dictatorship of the proletariat would exist to preserve the revolution until it would eventually wither away.
• This would happen as there would be no class left to exploit.
• Communism would emerge, and the "dialectic" process would end, bringing human history to a conclusion.