Cameron Wheeler

12/11/14

Marxism: Humanitys Responsibility

The depth of any given idea can only be found in so far as it can be
communicated and expressed. Knowledge is useless unless it is shared,
cultivated, and built upon. But if one does not possess the necessary
linguistic tools to effectively express ones ideas, then the very knowledge
we claim to possess is never materialized. This becomes relevant in regards
to Marxism when analyzing the purpose of the state and the implications of
Marxs notion of historical materialism. From a Marxian perspective the
function of the state is to facilitate class relations between the bourgeois and
the proletariat. This is necessary because of capitalisms inherent unequal
distribution of wealth and the exploitative nature of wage labor. The system
of capitalism and its internal dynamics create a hierarchy of concentrated
wealth.
Marxs historical materialism is arguably the most radical notion that
he asserts in all of his works. This notion ultimately views history as a
culmination of opposing forces, in which events and innovations are
manifested out of necessity. Philosophers and other intellectuals have
attempted to define what it means to be human for centuries on end. Since
the era of Platos Republic Western philosophy has been dominated by the
notion that a static human nature exists and it can be observed and defined.
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However, Marxs conception of historical materialism flips this notion on its

head. Rather than a static and describable human nature, he instead
proposes that human consciousness is contextually derived from the
constraints of our physical reality. Specifically the economic mode of
production through which the needs of society is met. The economic
relations of society are directly determined by the economic mode of
production as Marx explains.
History serves the purpose of spreading the preferred narrative of the
victor in any dispute, silencing opposition. As such the authority on
knowledge in human history typically correlates strongly with military might
and economic prosperity. From the Romans to the European settlers of North
America, both victors of history, these conquerors considered their enemies
barbarians, savages, and sub-human. The development of the city-state in
ancient Greece altered human consciousness to strongly identify with those
who lived in close proximity to them (i.e. their fellow citizens). This divisive
notion of national identity has proven to be rather harmful at times,
especially in the modern era of globalization.
In truth, any nationality is merely an ideological label. It holds no more
meaning than the invisible boundaries between countries or the money we
collectively believe to be wealth. The power of ideas rests in their ability to
take hold within the mind whether or not they are true. Nietzsche is famous
for having said, Sometimes people dont want to hear the truth because
they dont want their illusions destroyed. In the capitalist culture which
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glorifies mass consumption, individualism, blind patriotism, and egoism, vast

amounts of money, time, and effort are channeled into cultivating these
characteristics. The most insidious aspect of this culture is that any
conscious effort is not even needed. Institutions and systems are inherently
self-perpetuating in that they reproduce the very same material reality and
related consciousness that initially created the system. This notion helps to
explain how complex the development of capitalism has been.
The collective agreement to place trust in public institutions creates
the authority of knowledge that these institutions hold by deferring the
responsibility of critical thinking and investigative questioning to the state
and affiliated corporations. Under a Marxist perspective this notion regarding
the authority of knowledge, coupled with the commodification and
privatization of various facets of education (from textbooks to schools in
general) serves as a self-perpetuating cycle of social ignorance.1 As Plato
famously said, Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of
their culture will never be understood, let alone believed, by the masses.
This is predominantly the reason that there has been such a severe
demonization of Marxs ideologies. His philosophical, economic and
ultimately ethical assertions are incredibly complex in comparison to most
previous conceptions, particularly due to the fact that his concepts are some

1 Karl Marx, Contribution to Critique of Political Economy, in The Marx-Engels

Reader, ed. Robert C. Tucker, 2d ed.( New York: Norton, 1978), 24.
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of the first to deviate from the historical norm of Western philosophic and
economic thought.
Marx asserts that, The so-called historical presentation of
development is founded, as a rule, on the fact that the latest form regards
the previous ones as steps leading up to itself, andit always conceives
them one-sidedly.2 The success of the dominant class is portrayed as the
prevailing narrative of history, ignoring, exploiting or minimalizing the role of
those that do not fit the bill so to speak. Historically marginalized groups
included women, non-whites (in which whiteness and hostility are inversely
related), the Jewish, the Irish, homosexuals/sexual deviants, and many other
minority groups. As such the masses view history as a natural progression to
the present, with every step along the way as a necessary obstacle to
overcome no matter the price. The glaringly weakness with this ideology, as
Marx and many others point out, is that it creates a particular version of the
truth which in itself is a paradox. Truth is singular and its various versions
that exist within society are simply untruths. The status quo, societal norms,
mainstream, and many other terms are used to signify a collective thought
of the majority. These notions are taken as truth, as what is right, and as
what is permissible, which leaves no room for questioning, critical thought, or
true individuality. In effect the capitalistic system dehumanizes mankind into

2 Karl Marx, The Grundrisse in The Marx-Engels Reader, ed. Robert C. Tucker, 2d
ed.( New York: Norton, 1978), 242.
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a mechanical vessel exploited to concentrate socially constructed wealth into

the hands of the few.
The institution of public education plays a particularly integral role in
the process of reproducing the system. The notion of censorship is most
famously traced back to Platos Republic in which he defends the use of
censorship in creating the ideal city. It is not uncommon for those in power to
alter the information and knowledge they impart onto others, typically in
ways that benefit themselves. This is the inherent structure of an education
system that exists within the confines of a capitalist system. In an economic
setting in which everything in life is given a particular measure of value or
worth, the harsh reality is that the most profitable avenues will be taken
rather than the most beneficial. By understanding Marxs assertions one can
begin to see how public institutions such as public education (and more
evidently the push for the privatization of education) are mere reflections of
the economic structure of any given society. Hence the reason that education
in the era of feudalism was limited to land-owning nobles. Even today there
are hierarchical disparities in the education system that disproportionately
affect lower class minorities, who historically have already been subject to
much worse, producing a repetitive cycle that feeds the prison-industrial
complex. There is a glaring reason behind the fact that the disparities in
public education correlate very positively with low socio-economic status,
both of which correlate strongly with those who identify as black. As such
history determines the present, just as our tangible reality determines our
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conscious potential. Our social and political lives are directly related to the
prevailing economic system of production and the institutions that are
created serve the purpose of perpetuating the cycle.
Marxist ideology has been drastically misunderstood, misrepresented,
and misinterpreted over the course of time that has passed since his era.
Both unintentionally and intentionally distorted by various societal
institutions, particularly the media and public education, much of Marxism
thought as an ideology has been falsely conflated with physical
manifestations of tyrannical regimes. Marxs contributions to humanity are
not limited in any one field of knowledge or expertise. His economic
assertions are ultimately philosophical in nature due to his notion of
historical materialism. Even though Marx approaches the topic in a scientific
manner and from a materialist perspective his works are inherently ethical
pleas. Robert Tucker asserts the following in the preface to his The MarxEngels Reader:
The basis of the moral condemnation of wage labor is not that wages
are too low, but that wage labor by its very nature dehumanizes man.
This means, for Marx, that it defeats his natural human urge towards
spontaneous productive activity, converts his free creativity into forced
labor and drudgery, and frustrates his human need for a variety of
occupations:...3
3 Tucker, Robert C. "Preface." In The Marx-Engels Reader, Xxxi. 2d ed. New York:
Norton, 1978.
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Marxs ideology is exceptionally radical and his many work serves the
purpose of depicting capitalism as a transient stage in human history, one
that has to be overcome in order to realize humanitys full potential.4 Singer
asserts that Human beings cannot be free if they are subject to forces that
determine their thoughts, their ideas, their very nature as human beings.5
The economic system through which humanity meets its needs ultimately
determines the potential range of human expression. Therefore, human
nature is malleable and directly influenced by our sensuous contact with the
world in which we live. As such, human vices such as greed, envy, jealousy,
and egoism are not manifestations of human nature, merely the cultural
constructions of the economic means of production. For Marx the destruction
of the concept of private property would allow the masses to regain control
of the means of production and their mutual relations therein.6 Therefore
Marxs ideology is not a cut and dry treatise on what the next step should be
after capitalism, merely the beginning of the discussion about potential
alternatives that actually provide freedom and equality to every human
being. By altering the means of production by casting aside private
ownership the contemporary economic system is no longer depicted as

4 Singer, 74.
5 Singer, 46.
6 Karl Marx, German Ideology in Marx: A Very Short Introduction, Peter Singer. (Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 2000), 170.

natural law, the collective labor of each individual can serve to benefit the
collective needs of all.7

7 Singer, 84.
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