ASSIGNMENT-1

THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO

SUBMITTED BY:
SHEENAM KOHLI
M.A SOCIOLOGY (SEMESTER-I)
ENROLMENT NO.- S143DSC07

ANALYSIS OF THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO
The Communist Manifesto attempts to explain the goals of Communism, as well as the theory
underlying this movement. It argues that class struggles, or the exploitation of one class by
another, are the forces behind all historical developments. Class relationships are defined by
the means of production during a period. Modern Industrial society in specific is characterized
by class conflict between the bourgeoisie and proletariat. However, the productive forces of
capitalism are quickly ceasing to be compatible with this exploitative relationship. Thus, the
proletariat will lead a revolution.
The Manifesto argues that this development is irresistible, and that capitalism is naturally
unstable. The Communists intend to promote this revolution. They say that it is only through
revolution that the elimination of social classes can happen.
In the first part of the manifesto Marx and Engels are stressing upon the notion that the working
class, which they have termed as the proletarians, are exploited by the capitalists or the
bourgeoisie. They state that how society was earlier communal and then became unequal.
Marx states that how the struggle between the rich bourgeoisie and the hard working proletariat
would eventually lead to Communism. They do site the positives of the bourgeoisie group but
stressed more on their negatives. Marx states the bourgeoisie has assembled population,
centralized means of production, and has concentrated property in a few hands. He then
describes the proletarians, or the labor class, and how they were formed, how they have
suffered, and how they must overcome their struggles. The Manifesto, says that all the surplus
that goes to the capitalist as profits is in reality the "property" of the working class who created
that wealth. They stress that this dominating class must be eliminated from the society and this
could only be done by the proletarians through a revolution.
In the second section of the manifesto a relationship is established between the communists
and the proletarians. They state that the goals of both proletarians and communists are the
same, i.e , to create proletarians as a class and overthrow the bourgeois. The primary objective
of communists and the revolutionary proletariat is the abolition of private property, for it is this
that keeps them enslaved. Marx states that capitalism relies on unequal distribution towards its
workers. The only way the proletariat can free itself from bourgeois exploitation is to abolish
capitalism. For achieving this, the proletariat will have to destroy the bourgeois culture including
their family organization, religion, morality etc. The result of this struggle will be that there will be
free development which will ultimately lead to development of all.
Section three of the manifesto discusses the various forms of socialism. The first one is
Reactionary Socialism. Reactionary Socialists include the Feudal Socialists, the Petty-
Bourgeois Socialists, and the German, or "True" Socialists; all of these groups fight against the
rise of the bourgeoisie and modern Industry. The second form of Socialism is Conservative, or
Bourgeois, Socialism. This socialism reflects the desires of a segment of the bourgeois to
redress social grievances, in order to guarantee the continued existence of bourgeois
society. The third socialism is Critical-Utopian Socialism and Communism. This originated with
the first attempts of the proletariat to achieve their own ends. These socialists therefore looked
for new social laws to create the material conditions necessary to free the proletariat. However,
all these socialism suffer from many problems. One such problem is that they look to previous
modes of social organization for a solution to present difficulties. Also they deny the inherent
class character of the existing conflict and they do not recognize that violent revolution on the
part of the proletariat is the only way to eradicate the conditions of oppression.
In the last section, the manifesto again states that the Communists fight for the attainment of the
immediate aims, for the enforcement of the momentary interests of the working class; but in the
movement of the present, they also represent and take care of the future of that movement.
They say that the intention of the communist is to support every revolutionary movement that is
against the existing social and political order, whenever and wherever required. Marx concludes
by saying that in this communistic revolution the ruling classes will shiver and the proletarian will
have nothing to lose and that all working men from around the world should unite to break these
chains of the oppressed class. Thus, the Communist Manifesto is a very brief political rather
than economic summary of what Communism is about
GLOBALZATION AS A FORM OF GLOBAL CAPITALISM
Globalization refers to the worldwide phenomenon of increased technological, economic, and
cultural interconnectedness between nations. It is essentially capitalism on a global, rather than
a national scale. In a globalized economy, economic activity is unrestricted by time zones or
national boundaries. There is an international exchange of labor forces, ideas, knowledge,
products, and services. This trend has accelerated dramatically since the 1980s, as
technological advances have made it easier for people to travel, communicate, and do business
internationally.
It has been over 150 years since the publication of the Communist Manifesto and the
declaration has proved to be hollow in that many of its predictions have not been borne out by
actual history. There are many arguments as to why this is the case. It may be that some of the
assumptions girding communist thought, including the labor theory of value were mistaken.
Yet the real problem with the Marxian ideas imbued in the manifesto might be that Marx
misunderstood which class would ultimately subsume all the others. He was under the
impression that laborers must ultimately take over the means of production and so destroy the
capitalist system. What he could not understand was that the means of production would
become less and less expensive all the time due to efficiencies in production. Workers would
themselves become entrepreneurs in free and republican societies. The advent of computers,
and inexpensive access to the tools of a service industry would make small business a
dominant and driving force.
The brewing industry is a perfect example of this. Where there used to be only one or two large
brewers, now micro-breweries have become the rage. Where only a few networks dominated
the airwaves, now hundreds of channels proliferate. The internet has opened publishing up to
any person who has some money to rent a server. The cost for entry into many, though not all,
markets has become comparatively cheap. In essence Marx was wrong not because there was
no class struggle. There was indeed class struggle throughout most of history. He was wrong
because he could not see that the dialectic process would work to elevate the working class to
the entrepreneur class and not pull all of society down to the lowest common denominator.
We are still in the throes of this process. Eventually the efficiencies brought about by the
capitalist system, if allowed to operate in a free environment, will provide a high standard of
living for most of the world.
The Communist Manifesto still finds favor among many political groups and its ideas are worthy
of study because there are economic and historical truths embedded within it. It has also proved
to be the foundation of one of the most prominent economic and political movements of the 20th
Century. So the communist manifesto has some relevance in todays world but not completely.