Marx,one of the most important representatives of Marxism,wants to change the society of his time,a Capitalist system that he tries to eliminate in order to create a society where fight of classes does not exist.We must point out that Marx was not a mere theorist because he undertook a lot of activities.
As we know,Marx wrote with Engels The Communist Manifesto.According to his theory,the class that is powerful gives rise to the elements that destroy itself.Workers acquire conscience of themselves,overthrow their exploiters and establish a new social method in order to satisfy their own necessities.Necessarily,an expoiled working-class exists under a Capitalist society.These workers acquire strength and enough organization to rebel against Capitalism and overthrow Capitalist society.However,the society created by workers do not have classes.As this society will not permit the existence of a favoured group,there will not be contrary strengths.
I think that all Communist countries have failed,for example Cuba or Russia.
All societies must rely on people with acquisitive power and eagerness to create enterpraises,give work and organization because workers need being led by someone in order to give production.
Nowadays,it is said that only 343 persons around the world,approximately,have the world-wide richness.So,I think that this is one of the inconvenients of Capitalism because we can see,at present,that there are a lot of wars and poverty.
Therefore,I would choose Socialist democracy because someone has to bring economic means to form enterprises and we can forget that an enterprise is part of the worker because if a worker does not produce with his work,the enterprise capsizes.So,in this way,employer and employee ruin.
Marx proposes the Communism but I think that is not a good idea because people would have to work for the government and they would have to be sustained with gratis services by it.At last there would be recession because the society would have aspirations to live optimistically and the most intelligent individuals would obtain the power and would form enterprises.So they would come back to Capitalism.
On the other hand,Marxism is not only a politic theory because culture appears an a direct way too.There is a mechanic relation in the change of the economic structure and superstructure (cultural system).
Concerning to the later Marxist critique,there is an structuralist called Louis Althusser whose work has this title:"Ideology and Ideological State Apparatusses".He explains the question of ideology,essential in Marx and Engels.He defines the concept of ideology and says that ideology in Marx is reduced to false conscience.
Althusser differentiates two concepts:ideology and ideologies (historic entities).On the one hand,ideologies born,grow and can die.On the other hand,ideology has history because is the imaginative representation of real existence conditions.Ideology,which appears in each system,creates an imaginative representation and each individual lives it in a different way.It is not a tangible element and connects the base with the superstructures.
Marx states that social groups will not obtain the power if they do not control the State apparatusses.State apparatusses can function by means of repression.
Althusser says that a social group will not obtain the power if the State apparatusses do not control the ideological State apparatusses (superstructure).Educative system,TV,cinema,political parties,artistic systems (literature...) are good for transmit the ideology.Ideological State apparatusses are important to create this imaginative representations in individuals.
Literature can provoke a change in society,a revolution,according to Marxism.It connects with an historic reality.The objectivity of reality is the fight of classes,according to Marxist orthodoxy.It has to represent the objectivity of the social processes.This reality is the fight of classes.Literature must represent the complexity of social reality phenomenons.
In conclusion,I have to say that Marx and his theories have had a big influence on history and I think,above all,that his thought is full of realism and naturalism.
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Created: 23/04/99 Updated: 28/05/99