Friday, January 31, 2020
The Visions And Intensions Of Karl Marx Essay Example for Free
The Visions And Intensions Of Karl Marx Essay From the content of the Manifesto of the Communist Party, it is seen that Marx and Engels are not talking of any freedom but freedom from exploitation, freedom from class oppression, and freedom from class conflicts. In this sense, society cannot be considered free until it replaced capitalist exploitation with the free collaboration of all members of society. Freedom as deliverance of the worker from capitalist exploitation, is only one, though the most important aspect of his freedom. It cannot be restricted by negative characteristics, as in â€Å"freedom from something†. Freedom makes sense only when man is free not due to negative forces, to deliver him from something or the other, but due to positive forces, to show his real individuality (Hart, 1982). For Marx, freedoms like freedom of religion and the freedom to own property are hollow freedoms. In the manifesto, Marx wrote, â€Å"But dont wrangle with us so long as you apply, to our intended abolition of bourgeois property, the standard of your bourgeois notions of freedom, culture, law, etc. Your very ideas are but the outgrowth of the conditions of your bourgeois production and bourgeois property, just as your jurisprudence is but the will of your class made into a law for all, a will, whose essential character and direction are determined by the economical conditions of existence of your class.†Thus, only in a classless society would a human individual truly gain freedom. Karl Marx and Maximilian Weber are two of the founders of Modern Sociology. Marx and Weber were influential figures during their time, as both were active and visible in German politics. Their words hold a power in them that denotes authority and conviction thus becoming an inspiration or a threat to those who hear and read, yet were also widely criticized and disputed. These two however, as many people believe, share opposing views in many issues, particularly with regards to the controversial debate of capitalism and socialism. Yet they also share commonalities.Karl Marx is popularly known for his works that gave rise to the concept of communism. Marx is in fact trained in the field of philosophy but eventually veered towards economics and politics. Hence for many scholars then and now, he was more of a revolutionary communist than a philosopher. For Marx nevertheless, â€Å"the philosophers have only interpreted the world, the point is to change it,†this he wrote in his Theses on Feuerbach (Wolff, 2003). His most popular work was the Communist Manifesto (1848), which he co-authored with his lifelong friend, Friedrich Engels. Yet according to many academicians, even if the Manifesto is the most famous of Marx’ works, it is not the best material to use to analyze his sentiments and belief. In fact many deem the Economic and Political Manuscripts of 1844 as the heart of Marx’s analysis particularly in relation to economics.            Prior to communism, what paved the way to the development of communistic ideas was the theory of Historical Materialism. This is Marx’s version of history, where forms of societies experience a constant rise and fall because that society had grown to inhibit human productive power. During his time, capitalism was the dominant society, thus, capitalism impedes human productivity. What follows the decrease in productivity is a revolution or epoch change because the former society can no longer serve the needs of man. Marx believes that the historical process or the progression or human societies undergoes a series of changes in the mode of production but will eventually culminate to communism; communism will replace capitalism giving rise to a â€Å"society in which each person should contribute according to their ability and receive such according to their need†(Wolff 2003).            Marx’s postulates, though some were regarded as unempirical, were nonetheless necessary, as he was able to discuss economics using â€Å"material bases†rather than relying on philosophical abstractions and dialectics (Kemerling, 2002). Most importantly, his works were viewed as the inspiration for the victory of the Bolsheviks several decades later in the October Revolution. His most notable and recognized ideas is that the Proletariats, Bolsheviks for the Russians, are not given their fair share during the production of commodities, thus there is no harmonious relationship between the capitalist profit earner and the working man and neither will there be an equilibrium in the capitalist market (Weber, 2006). Karl Marx believes that revolution is inevitable. Nations will aspire for a society that fosters equality and progress for everyone and not just the ruling class. This emerges from an uprising from the proletariat as they continue to feel antagonism from the bourgeoisie. Modern day societies, according to Marx, are basically divided into two major classes: the bourgeoisie, or the capitalist, ruling class, and the proletariat, or the working class. With this class distinction, material wealth of a nation is totally controlled by the capitalists, while the working class only depends on salary as they work for the continued wealthy existence of the bourgeoisie. Marx believes that ultimately, the working class will notice the inequalities in their society and will wish to bring about major changes that can only be possible through revolutionary means. (Kemerling). Marx acknowledges the differing ideas on socialism and communism, but eventually concludes that it is through revolution that true communist ideals can be met. Believers in socialist and communist systems assert that antagonism persists as industrial development continues. Since the economic condition does not provide for the emancipation of the proletariat, â€Å"they therefore search after a new social science, after new social laws, that are to create these conditions†(Marx 110). Central to Marx’ concept is class distinction, which has been present throughout the course of history. The modern capitalistic society is itself a product of the feudal society, but has brought about new forms of oppression. Capitalism evolved from feudal concepts and continues to evolve in order to sustain itself – incessantly changing the means of production and exchange. The bourgeoisie has made itself the center of every society in the world as it compelled all nations to follow its model of society – a society that has enormously increased urban population so as to take them away from the simple rural life (Marx 64-64). It has also promoted a mode of production, which it presents to be based on freedom, i.e., free trade and globalization. In the process, the bourgeoisie has given power and wealth to only a few people, that is, the ruling class. On the other hand, the proletariat becomes mere commodities as capitalists continue to look for cheaper labor, and the workers, since they are selling themselves for labor and are competing with other workers for daily sustenance, turn out with lower wages in the end. In the long run, labor becomes more burdensome to the workers even as the wages go down. The economic situation of the working class, as they will eventually discover, is due primarily to the system of production, the system that the capitalists themselves have developed for their own welfare. Marx also notes that even the small shopowners, tradespeople, and handicraftsmen, unable to compete on equal footing against the larger capitalist groups, become part of the proletariat, although they are more conservative, considering only their future interests (70-71). The working class is the revolutionary class that is bound to face the bourgeoisie, starting with small groups until it forms into a national group that will take power from bourgeoisie to centralize all instruments of production. Communists envision a classless society and promote the common interests of the proletariat, and support the overthrow of the capitalists so that the working class will gain power. Marx believes that the communists are the most advanced of all sectors of the working class, as they work towards the abolition of private property, which has been the basis for antagonism of the working class (80-81). Marx predicts that the capitalist society will eventually evolve, leading to its demise as the proletarians resist the system and fight for the emancipation of the working class.                                               REFERENCES Hart, M. (1982) The Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, Galahad Books, New York City. Kemerling, G. (2002, August 7). Karl Marx. Retrieved Jan. 25, 2007 at:            http://www.philosophypages.com/ph/marx/htm Marx, K. and Engels, F. The Communist Manifesto. New York: Simon and Schuster Inc., 1964. Weber, M. (2006, July 30). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved Jan. 25, 2007 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/            index.php?title=Max_Weberoldid=66750368 Wolff, J. (2003, August 26). Karl Marx. Retrieved Jan. 25, 2007 at:            http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/marx/
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka - Does Gregor Ever recieve justice? :: English Literature
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka - Does Gregor Ever recieve justice? In the short story â€Å"Metamorphosis†by Franz Kafka, the protagonist of the story, Gregor Samsa, goes through a strange transition where he is transformed from a human being into an insect. Throughout the story Gregor’s physical appearance changes but it is apparent that his life as an insect is not that different from his life as a human being. To the reader it seems as though justice is served when Gregor, who has been transformed into an insect by some unexplainable force, can no longer work. Therefore his family, who have been living off him are forced to go get jobs. This would be considered justice if it weren’t for the fact that Gregor is living his life as an insect therefore the idea of justice seems to be undefinable. â€Å"Metamorphosis†is the story of a man named Gregor Samsa who awakes one morning from â€Å"unsettling dreams†and realizes that he has been transformed into a â€Å"monstrous vermin.†Gregor is a traveling salesman who works ridiculous hours every day while his family sits at home enjoying the luxuries which come from the money that he earns. Gregor spends his time â€Å"traveling day in, day out.†He awakes every morning at four o’clock and has â€Å"not once been ill during his five-year employment,†therefore it is quite rare that when the story begins he is late for work. It is so rare that the head clerk of the company where he works appears at his house wondering why he is not out of bed yet and why he is late for work. Finally with the â€Å"aid of his chair†Gregor is able to open the door. It is a complete shock to everyone to see Gregor in the state that he is in. The head clerk is ready to leave and it appears that Gregor has lost his job for good. Gregor’s job loss is not only detrimental to him but also to his family because he is their only source of income. Seeing as how Gregor is unable to get another job, his family is forced to get jobs of their own. Roles are now reversed because now Gregor’s family is forced to take care of him. Gregor’s life as a human was unjust because he was forced to financially support his family and wake up at four o’clock every morning to go to work as a traveling business man.
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Learned Helplessness Essay
Firmin, Hwang, Copella and Clark’s research study focuses on testing the strength of the student against his or her â€Å"learned helplessness.†This phenomenon includes the following: Contingency, which addresses the uncontrollability or stability of the situation, and Cognition refers to the various attributes that individuals display in reaction to their environment. Having prior research studies regarding learned helplessness in motherhood (Kashdan et al. 2000) and boys with ADHD (Milich and Okazaki 1991), Firmin et al. were able to assemble an exam comprised of â€Å"easy†and â€Å"difficult†questions to be administered in the form of an exam to college students. The goal of the study assesses the students’ degree of frustration during test failure and how frustration triggers learned helplessness within the constraints of an exam. To what extent does a failure experience in the early part of a test influence or elicit helplessness within a student? Methodology Participants included students from two psychology classes from a private Midwestern university. The majority of participants are Caucasian and between the ages of 17 and 20. Each individual was administered an exam ensuring anonymity among scores and responses. A research edition of the Shiley Cognitive Scales was utilized in this experiment with a total of 88 questions in three sections: Vocabulary, Abstraction, and Block Patterns. The vocabulary portion included 50 words in which the participant was asked to identify a synonym to an original word. The Abstraction section included 24 self-generated responses that completed the appropriate sequence of words, numbers or letters. The final part of the exam, Block Patterns, asked students to choose the most appropriate pattern to fit the rest. Students were split into two groups: one group with higher SAT/ACT scores than the other. The questions asked in the exam were rated as â€Å"easy†or â€Å"difficult†by determining the success rate of each question (questions that were most often answered correctly in both groups were considered â€Å"easy†). Two tests were created with the same questions but in different orders: Test A began with the most difficult questions and gradually became easier; Test B began with the easiest questions and gradually became more difficult. Data Analysis Data was analyzed on three tiers: number or correct answers on easy items, number or correct answers on difficult items, and total number of correct answers. Results and Conclusions Those who took Test A had fewer correct answers on easy questions than those who took Test B, but more correct answers on the difficult questions, and the overall test. Generally, students who were administers difficult questions before easy questions tended to give up on the easy questions due to frustration, but performance on the difficult questions was not diminished. Because each group was given enough time to complete the exam (all participants finished the last section), Firmin et al. believe the difficulty to easy gradation of Test A created a negative impact on student’s ability to respond correctly.
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
The Rave Subculture Essay - 2619 Words
The dizzying laser lights flashed in synchronicity with the pulsating bass of the music that bounced off the psychedelic warehouse walls. As my boyfriend and I mentally attempted to organize the chaos surrounding us, we pushed our way through the crowd of spasmodic lunatics who contorted their bodies in time with the music and lights. We located a couch in a room covered with cartoonesque, hyper-graphic graffiti. An androgynous man sat himself at my feet and began massaging my thighs, while a girl with her eyes rolled back into her head demanded that my boyfriend give her a massage. Just then the deejay laid his head in my lap, told me he was in love with me, and placed a bitter pill on my tongue. This certainly was the most bizarre method†¦show more content†¦This paper offers an introductory glimpse into the rave subculture for members of mainstream culture. The exploration includes rave artifacts, lexicons, and mysterious rituals. Based on two years of ethnography in the rave scene combined with published documentation, a survival guide for attending raves is offered for the naive, but curious. To survive in the rave subculture, possessing both the artifacts (nonverbal communication) and lexicon (verbal communication) are imperative. Artifacts include appropriate clothing, essential supplies, and psychedelic toys. Examples of interesting and unusual artifacts will be used throughout the paper to give the reader a vicarious rave experience. Insider lexicon phrases include codes for illegal substances, group rituals, and dance music. The reader will be taught some of the unique rave jargon, so that he or she can speak rave. Although there is no definitive source on the etymology of the term rave, most ravers agree that the term originally referred to raving about the secret, decadent parties. There is also no universally agreed upon definition for the term, but a few examples will serve to conceptualize the term. Bradburn’s (Jul. 1993) broad definition is of a new phenomenon that is more of a spontaneous happening that brings people together for dancing in various locations. More specifically, Saltonstall (1995) defines raves as all-night dance parties that moveShow MoreRelatedMusic : The Rave Subculture1812 Words  | 8 Pagesnowadays. EDM is known as rave subculture that is characterized by wild parties with loud music, neon lights or laser shows, fireworks show, live DJ, alcohol, and drugs. In addition, rave subculture is involved with youth, mostly from the of fifteen to thirty who enjoy standing all night listening is to music and dance with electronic music. Thus, for many young people, rave phenomenon is a norm that is embedded within the culture of their social life. What is the rave subculture? This is a question thatRead MoreSubculture/Counterculture of Raves1834 Words  | 8 Pages10 October 2011 Raves and Ecstasy Rave. What does one think of the word rave? 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Many of the common practices at raves stem from the use of MDMA as well. For example, light shows are frequently performed by ravers. During a light show, one person will take small handheld lights or wear gloves with lights attached on the fingertips and wave them in rapid complex motionsRead MoreThe Subculture Of Consumption History And Origins2409 Words  | 10 Pageswith the theme of oceanic concepts. Seapunk as its own subculture has its own lifestyle incorporating history, how they differ from other groups, dress behavior, and satirical styles and rules. Discussion Subculture of consumption background information Subculture of consumption history and origins. Seapunk is a virtual aesthetic of music and art forms, generally surrounding oceanic concepts, blue hues, and the 90s rave era. This subculture is birthed out of the Internet, using social media sitesRead MoreImpact of Party Drugs on the Youth Culture Essay1507 Words  | 7 Pagesadolescence is a time for the construction of a unique self identity, it is also a time when a sense of belonging is engendered through common cultural construction. One subset of this cultural construction is the rave party scene that is a global phenomenon of the youth subculture (Shapiro, 1999). A rave party is often a large gathering of young people in an atmosphere where there is music and laser lights. This sub-culture is linked to the drug culture through party drugs such as ecstasy and ketamine. TheRead MoreDance Music and Moral Panic3609 Words  | 15 Pagesamplification and misunderstanding regarding issues surrounding drug misuse as well as the creation of a moral panic in mainstream society . In this assignment an examination of this aforementioned misunderstanding and the connection between musical genres, subculture and labelling will be discussed in relation to Cohen’s theory regarding moral panics. An examination of two differentiating genres of music and culture will be given to assess the relevance of Cohen’s ontological assumptions regarding the creation
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