Dehumanization: Marxism and Modern Era Essay

dehumanisation is the process of stripping away or denying others addition to elementary human qualities or rights. An ideal golf club would be light of this inequality, withal, during the modern earned run av datege, encouraged by capitalism and free competition, it is difficult to arrest complete equality and fairness. In fact, three books from the reading list, Marxs communistic manifesto, Sumners essay, What the Social Classes Owe to Each Other, and Primo Levis narration of Survival at Auschwitz, truly illustrate how difficult ideas and cultural determine of the era make it to eliminate dehumanization. Although, the situations demonstrateed in each of the book ar very different, they principal(prenominal)ly deal with the loss or diminishment of four basic human qualities the natural value in being human, the uniqueness of the individual, the emancipation to act and make decisions, and the equality of status. This paper will analyze non only how these qualities wer e diminished in each of the cases in the modern era but also look to see if dehumanization was balked. Communist ManifestoThe Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx, attempts to explain the goals of Communism as easy as the theories underlying this movement. It argues that circle struggle, or the exploitation of integrity mannikin by a nonher, invite been occurring for generations. Marx quotes, The narration of all hitherto existing society has been the history of class struggles (79). Class relationships are defined by an eras means of production. However, However, til nowtually these relationships cease to be compatible with the growth forces of production. At this point, a revolution occurs and a new class emerges as the ruling one. Specifically, the Modern industrial era is characterized by the class battle between the middle class and trade union movement. The bourgeoisie consisted of employers of laborers or the owners of the means of production. The proletaria t represented the wage laborers and they were dehumanized. In fact, the bourgeoisie violated all four of the main human qualities listed in the introduction.Firs, the fact that there was an economically based class system indicated inequality in status. Second, since the bourgeoisie class employed the proletariat thereby controlling the action and decision of the lower class. Third, the bourgeoisie in he modern era clumped the entire proletariat class together and considered them mere laborers, Fourth, Marx believed that wage laborers working with machinery dehumanized the worker. Human set were diminished since laboring class could be easily replaced by machinery in slightly instances for more efficiency. Any one of these violations alone depose stand as mere inequality however, when many more of these violations get stacked, inequality becomes a form of dehumanization. Therefore, as production demand increased, the exploitation by the bourgeoisie class of the proletariat clas s increased.Eventually, this would anger the proletariat class plentiful to start a revolution and overthrow the bourgeoisie. Marx wrote, The bourgeoisie is unfit to rule because it is ungainly to assure an existence to its slave within his slavery, because it cannot help letting him flatten into such a state, that it has to feed him, instead of being fed by him. Society can no longer live under this bourgeoisie, in other words, its existence is no longer compatible with society (93). This spring up would be the Proletariats form of resistance against dehumanization.However, un manage preceding(prenominal) revolution, where reasons simply shifted from one class to another, Marx predicts that class will be eliminated t surface ensemble and a truly equal and fair state would emerge. Readers cant help but feel skeptical while reading Marxs theory overdue to the dictators present in current day communist countries. However, it is important to know that these current day communis t countries only got influenced by Marxs ideal but did no fully carry out his theoretical society. What the Social Classes Owe to Each OtherWilliam Graham Sumner was influenced by Social Darwinists and argued in his writing that helping the despicable would only hinder with laws of nature and slow down evolutionary progression. In fact, Sumner argued that a poor or a weak person were solely lazy and they did not exist. Therefore Sumner wrote, A maudlin impulse to prolong the lives of the unfit stands in the way of this beneficent purging of the social organism (45). He would still defend about not giving by writing, we all owe to each other good-will, mutual respect, and mutual guarantees of liberty and security. Beyond this zipper can be affirmed as a duty of one group to another in a free state (49).In addition, he believed that if was unfair how if the rich, comfortable, prosperous, virtuous, respectable, educated, and healthy cannot make everybody else as well morose as the mselves, they are to be brought down to the same misery as others (62). In another words, Sumner did not think it was fair how the rich were anticipate to help the poor, and if not was possibly penalized. Unlike the Marxs Manifesto, the opposing classes are not clearly defined. However, it is still assumed from Sumners writing that Sumner values some life over another.For example, when he writes, society is constantly expel its unhealthy, imbecile, slow, vacillating, faithless members to leave room for the deserving (45). With this remark, and many others similar to it, Sumner dehumanizes volume who did not succeed. While, a positive message is being sent by Sumner in a way by encouraging citizens to work hard, Sumner is bluff of those who like the proletariats, have no control over their life due to greedy overbearing employers. The only option that Sumner gives to resist the dehumanization is to encumber working hard and do not accept defeat. Survival at AuschwitzMany have he ard the accounts of the holocaust before in history class or in other books on the subject however Levi truly does an excellent job giving the readers detailed glimpse into what it sincerely is like to go from being a free human being, accordingly being stripped down to nothing. His intention for the book was not to form new accusations but rather to furnish documentation for a quiet theme of certain aspects of the human mind (9). This book demonstrates dehumanization at its worst. It was naturalised in the introduction that often times Men and women were treated like animals while getting dehumanized. Yet, the people at Auschwitz were actually getting treated worse than livestock. This is because with livestock at to the lowest degree they were somewhat cared for before they were killed, and even if they werent they were killed to serve a higher purpose. On the other hand, the prisoners at the concentration camps were starved, killed, and then deserted.Unlike the other two b ooks, this book contains so untold elements of dehumanization that no amount of pages would be enough to gravel it all however, it is important to draw from this book also how people have truly used every inch of their will power to exertion and maintain their self-value. How did the prisoners resist the urge to admit defeat and continue resist dehumanization? How did they when even ordinary moral world (86) like good, and sinfulness begin to get mixed up and the differences between these opposites became unclear? Levi present a man in his story, who may have been physically decrease but who is an unreasonable man and a survivor, the most adaptable, the human lawsuit most suited to this way of living (97). Portrayed by this insane man, Elias is a strong message that morals and self-value can adapt and run low even in the most extreme situation. ConclusionBased on the scenarios presented by the three books, and personal understanding of dehumanization, I believe it cannot be absent in modern era society. The degree to which dehumanization can occur is extremely varied, and while we can hope and wait for it to merely pass by, it is better to act. Try to resist dehumanization as much as can, as Levis character Elias demonstrated, with strong will power and determination, there are so much we can achieve. Perhaps, while we may not be able to eliminate several factors of unfairness or inequality, we can still treat people with respect and at least eliminate dehumanization.