Gustave De Molinari

The socialists, believing everyone is equal, saw that the proletariat was being treated poorly and knew that would have to change. The cruel working conditions and little civil rights made a gap that no single man could cross without help. Many believed that socialism was the key. Socialism grew from the problems of the Industrial Revolution. The relationship of the Revolution to socialism was that of a problem to a solution, respectively. If not for the Industrial Revolution, the problems between the classes would never have grown so apparent. Then again, without the Industrial Revolution the world would be stuck in the past.

Luddism, for example, was one of the ideologies that opposed the industrial changes that liberalism brought. The jobs of the skilled textile workers were lost and replaced by machines operated by unskilled laborers. The Luddites protested and even broke into factories, destroying many machinery. Chartism was another example of the response to the unrecognized individual rights. Chartism was a working- class movement with the main focus on political and social reform in society (Fielding, 2009, 132). The Chartists wanted a political and social reform in society because they could be granted the rights to participate in these aspects of society. Utopian Socialists were humanitarians who advocated an end to the appalling conditions of the average worker in the industrial capitalist countries (Fielding, 2009, 134). They believed that education and the improved working conditions could peacefully remove the worst aspects of capitalism and lead to an ideal socialist society where everyone would live happily. “It is therefore the interest of all, that everyone, from birth, should be well educated, physically and mentally, that society may be improved in its character; that everyone should be beneficially employed, physically, and mentally, that the greatest amount of wealth may be created and knowledge attained….” (Fielding, 2009, 135). Another essential resistance to liberalism was showcased by the ideology of classical conservatism. The beliefs of

Socialism is the underlying motivation behind communist movements in history. Socialists believe that it is unjust for a small amount of people to own the biggest portion of the wealth in society. This idea lead to the concept of a communist society, in which the existence of private property is eliminated in favor of government-owned property being shared among all it’s people. The government would provide jobs and care for all people equally. The idea was that through communism, there would be no social classes, thus eliminating alienation for any of the people in the society.

Throughout Europe, people of all different classes and moralities had different views of socialism and how it should be achieved/expressed throughout time in that area. An economic and political system based on collective or state ownership of the means of production and distribution is known as socialism. Socialism branched from Republicanism in the early 19th century, because people came to disapprove unequal distribution of wealth and goods. Socialists wanted equal rights for all, but they were opposed to upper class people who received more income for less work with little impact on society. A socialist economic system is the representation of attempting to eliminate economic inequalities and exploitation. Goals of this would be ending

Initially we shall examine the concept of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels view of Socialism as described by Michael W. Doyle. At the very beginning of the chapter he states that “[Marx and Engels] are perhaps best known for the materialist conception of history in which the conditions of production shape all other areas of society — institutions, laws, ideas and morality” (Doyle 322). Both of

“The Pittsburgh Manifesto” (1883) was written by a group of working people who wanted to see big changes in the government. The writers of “The Pittsburgh Manifesto” believed that the working class was being exploited while the upper-class was thriving. It is stated that it is almost impossible for someone of the working class to gain wealth while the rich are getting richer and richer. The upper class was so wealthy that they owned more than five eighths of all products when they only made up one tenth of the population. This left the working class with less opportunity to succeed overall. This forced many middle-class citizens to turn to crime in order to be able to earn enough money to sustain their needs. The only way to save society was for the government to completely change its capitalistic ways. This way, everyone would be equal and there would be more order and less crime. Everyone would be driven to work if they wanted to live, and everyone as a whole would be working together, so people would not have to work more than a few hours everyday day. All products would be exchanged (traded) so there would be no need for any type of currency. This new and improved government would provide everyone with equality and that is not just in wealth. There would be “Equal rights for all without distinction to sex or race” (505). The main goal of this anarchy is unity, organization, and peace. This goal can only be obtained by making sure everyone is equal.

Marxist believed that working class will revolt against their upper-class oppressors and establish a new government of equality. He claimed that after the revolution the government would seize all private property and create a socialist where wealth was eventually divided.

Means of production are socially owned and used to meet human needs instead of to create profits. In the idea of production, society will flourish if production is equally demanded from all parties. As long as society is working together as a whole to produce for the society and not for each individual, socialist ideals are being followed. Once society starts to work towards one’s own prosperity, socialism is out and it is thought by socialists it will begin in “stunting our manufacturers” (Document 5). The socialist production throughout society is to better the entirety of the country, not individual wealth. Edouard Bernstein had ideas on socialism, the increase in production and “freeing of trade unions” were big ideas of socialism (Document 11). The government needed stepping in when production was low to better help the

A Utopian communist society was set up for failure based off the ideas of Charles Fourier. He was a Utopian socialist who shaped the political and economic basis of Brook Farm. He was part of the French Revolution and was disgusted by the violence that human beings committed in order to achieve their goals. He believed the way to rebel against the government and to achieve goals was through peace, not through murder. Fourier’s societal vision included an ideal community called a “Phalanx.” The

Revolutionary socialist Karl Marx believed that the economic calculation problem should be solved adopting a communist approach; he expressed his ideas in his most notable work “The Communist Manifesto” in 1848. Marx believed that capitalism should be replaced by socialism and eventually communism and it should be done through abolishing markets, prices and private property. To understand Marx’s ideas it is important to define capitalism socialism and communism. Capitalism can be defined as ‘an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state’. On the other hand socialism can be defined as ‘a political and economic theory of social organization, which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole’.

Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto was most appealing to and revolutionary for the industrial workers of 1848 (and those to come after that time). The call for unification of the proletariat and abolishment of the Bourgeoisie was an urgent one during a time of rapid progress in all aspects of industrial life. This urgency of The Communist Manifesto and the desire for change of political ideologies (to match the exponential rate of progress of wealth and industry) created not only a spate of revolutions, but a long lasting change in political ideas for industrialized European nations. The Communist Manifesto created a sense of unity and class awareness throughout the

Many people, besides myself, have also contemplated this question, whether a utopian society could exist, and have put forth their own theories. Karl Marx and John Rawls are two thinkers that questioned what the theory of justice. Marx believed that history was always moving forward towards a utopian ending. Marx disliked injustice and declared this in his Communist Manifesto in 1846. His theory is centered on the idea that forms of society rise and fall as they develop and then became an obstacle for the development of human productive power and reality is governed by economic needs. This belief means that the present organization of society must be destroyed. To establish this new society, people must be organized and take up the struggle against the capitalists who take advantage of them. This struggle, according to Marx, will end in victory for the workers. However, Marx was unable to discover what laws and principles that would produce the just society in which he strived for.

Ever since the creation of man, society has been trying to achieve harmony between its citizens and establish a utopia in which everyone can live in peace and harmony. During the 1800s many citizens of capitalist countries believed that they were living in this utopia, however the working class begged to differ. It was not until the mid-1800s that someone finally stood up for these proletarians as this man believed that the exploitation of members of the working class was unfair. This person was called Karl Marx. This German philosopher inspired workers to rise up and challenge injustices and exploitations. In addition, his views on life and the social structure of his time revolutionized the way people think. It was not until Karl Marx

Karl Marx was an idealist. He observed the cruelties and injustices that the poor working class endured during the period of industrial revolution, and was inspired to write of a society in which no oppression existed for any class of people. Marx believed in a revolution that would end socialism and capitalism, and focus on communist principles. The Manifesto of the Communist Party, written by Karl Marx and edited by Frederick Engels, describes the goals of the communist party for ending exploitation of the working class and creating a society in which there is equality in society without social classes.1

The works of Karl Marx are a crucial part of the foundation of the utopia, as they outline the overt flaws in a capitalist system and define the economic plan of the utopia. Although not inherently communistic in every aspect, the dominant political ideology of the utopia is libertarian socialism. Under libertarian socialism, the citizens can reach their full potential while remaining under the care of the government for systems such as healthcare and education. By being allowed to the same opportunities as everyone else from birth, the concept of equality of opportunity is instilled in each person and is further cemented into the foundations of each individual as they age. Eventually, they will come to see themselves and others as complete equals, which will give them a better understanding of their environment and will make for better choices.