“It is not the conciseness of men that determine their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness” (Marx, 37).
Marx’s world view is a very interesting one. He puts the relations of production as the main social actors, which can determine how society is (or will be) set up. For Marx, those who control the means of material production also control the means of intellectual production. He states, “The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas” (39).
I believe this is a very provoking thought. To admit that the ideas of the ruling class are the one’s being exposed and advertised as the “correct” and “best” is to admit that there could be other (alternative) ideological structures organizing society.
This is my major problem with capitalism (and Marx sees this issue clearly). Within the capitalist society, most subjects that compose the society believe capitalism is the prime form of political and economical organization. Many times this happens even among those who are not favored (or even suffer) by the status quo. It is hard to burst that bubble when media, the State Apparatus, and the Ideological State Apparatuses shove down our throats that democracy (aka capitalism) is the way to go, and if you disagree you are a commie. But is capitalism really the perfect system, or is it the perfect system for the wealthy 1%?
I sense a certain conformist atmosphere in our current society. We can’t combat capitalism, those in power are too powerful. It is best to lay low and strive (and hope) to achieve the “American Dream” (despite all institutionalized and systematic obstacles imposed on the working class that prevent them from doing so).
Marx affirms, “The existence of revolutionary ideas in a particular period presupposes the existence of a revolutionary class” (40). Where are our revolutionary ideas of today?
I know I kind of completely ignored Engels in this blog post! Sorry about that.
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