Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness--this is what Americans identify as the full definition of “to live.” These were the ideas that attracted generations of immigrants to the shores of Ellis Island and Angel Island, hoping to find tangible dreams promised in the torch of The Statue of Liberty and in the cobblestone sidewalks of San Francisco. To the rest of the world, however, what does “living” really mean? As Kira Argounova, the protagonist, states: “Why do you think I’m alive? Is it because I have a stomach and eat and digest food? Because I breathe and work […]? Or because I know what I want, and that something which knows how to want—isn’t that life itself?” (399) We the Living by Ayn Rand creates a backdrop of communism in the Soviet Union, where the responsibility for one’s own survival and well-being is subordinated to a “duty” to others, which “forbids life to those still living” (189). However, when the communist government forces all citizens to sacrifice all of their property and freedom for the benefits of the State and Society, the three protagonists Kira, Leo, and Andrei unfortunately learn that despite how strong, independent-minded, and confident they are, staying alive demands the sacrifice of their biggest values.
The intrinsic values of communism rely on the basic tenet that all citizens will sacrifice individualistic ideals for the greater good of Society. Each member of society must sacrifice himself for the sake of others, resulting in a country where each citizen is effectively the same as others in terms of wealth, property, and class. Effectively, each member of society is but one part used to build an impressive machine: taken independently, each cog seems worthless, but in the context of the ...
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...his tragic ending becomes a clear symbol of the clashing perspectives of communism and individual values: even an individual who had managed to find success in the Marxist system of communism could not maintain happiness for long before losing everything, including the reasons for living.
We the Living by Ayn Rand therefore becomes a social commentary on the evils of communist dictatorship. Rand tells the heartbreaking stories of three individuals who demand the right to live their own lives and to pursue their own happiness, to no avail. The struggle for survival behind the Red banners and slogans speaking of a perfect world and society provides a startling contrast of ideals and society, because no matter what, those who defy and those who succumb meet the same fate: an empty life devoid of the elements that make life worth living--love, happiness, and dreams.
Ayn Rand, in Anthem, illustrates a futuristic, socialist society. In the novel, Rand destroys any sense of individuality and describes the social setbacks endured after living ‘only for the brotherhood’. The individual person fails to exist and is but a ‘we’ and recognized by a word and a series of numbers rather than a name. Additionally, she describes the horrors encountered within this different system of life: from reproduction methods to punishments. Through the life of Equality 7-2521, Rand demonstrates a person’s journey from obedience to exile in this socialist society. Throughout the entire novel, Rand criticizes Marxist theory as she demonstrates socialism’s failure to suppress revolution, thwart material dialectic, and its detriment to humanity.
In the Manifesto of the Communist Party, what communism is is discussed; this writing attempts to enlighten the world about what communism ideals are. The communist party is pro-proletariat and wants what is best, in their eyes, for the working class people. “The essential condition for the existence and rule of the bourgeois class is the accumulation of wealth in private hands, the formation of capital; the essential condition of capital is wage-labour” (Marx, p. 135). According to Marx and Engels, the reason the bourgeois class exists is because of the labor from the proletariat class; without the capital produced from the proletariat the bourgeois class would not be as successful as they are. “The Communists are no separate party distinct from other working people” (Marx, p. 135). It is being argued that the Communist party is made up of working class people who are tired of their rights being trampled on and want to do something about it. This shows a connection to the proletariat and the Communist party is more likely to gain support by utilizing this approach.
Karl Marx never saw his ideals and beliefs, as the founding father of communist thought, implemented in the world and society because he died in 1883.1 The communist ideology did not rise to power until the beginning of the 20th century. Then it would be implemented and put into practice in the largest country in the world producing a concept that would control half of the world’s population in less than 50 years. The Manifesto of the Communist Party, written by Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels, searched for a perfect society living in equality and united in freedom. According to Marx this could only be accomplished in an anti-capitalist society.2 When their ideals where implemented in the 20th century, their message became warped and disfigured by the leadership of the worlds’ communist powers. Communism became in some ways more and in others less than Marx had first envisioned so many years before in 1848. Marx’s sought a social “Utopia,” while modern communist thought became a view of world domination.3 Many of the centralized governments of modern communism have fallen apart toward the end of the 20th century, confronted with concepts of self-government and revolution. Therefore, it is vital to document the rise and fall of modern communism throughout the world, and review the modern communist thought as it contrasted with that of Marx and Engels over 150 years ago.
In conclusion, this book gave insight to who the bourgeois and proletarians were, the main goals of communism, and why communism might have a negative connotation behind it. Marx and Engels, gave their best opinions and research in this book, and although it is pretty much a historical document at this point one hundred and fifty years old, people still care about their thoughts.
Of all political philosophies conceived, Communism has had some of the most controversial events in human history come as an effect of this belief. Originally conceived by Karl Marx, nineteenth century political analyst who originally brought the ideas of communism into fruition. At the core of our human nature, Marx believed that we strive to create, and therefore enjoy labor if they find meaning in their jobs. However, Marx found that in our current capitalist system, there are few meaningful jobs, especially jobs for the lower classes. Also, Marx observed that there is a great divide in the lifestyles of the upper class and the lower class, which leads oppression from the upper class directed to the lower classes.Therefore, Marx felt that our current capitalist system would surely fail and make way for a communist revolution. To summarize, Marx believed that the steps to attain this perfect society must follow start with a system filled with meaningless work, until a violent revolution is incited at the hands of the working class, and the revolution would end with the classes, both upper and working, working a system which harmonizes all workers. This ideal system Marx predicted is the basis of the ideal communist society, in which he labor of both people are equal. Many have sacrificed much for the sake of this ideal since the foundation of his philosophy, and a version of this revolution can be seen in the Fritz Lang silent film Metropolis. This groundbreaking 1927 silent film demonstrates a futuristic utopia with a great class divide, and how a great revolution seeks to destroy this gap and create a true metropolis.
...y and non-conformity is highlighted in the exchange between Peter Keating and Howard Roark on the A.G.A, as Howard has no intent of entertaining any such invitation and Peter can think of nothing sweeter. Finally, Howard Roark reaches a pinnacle of non-conformity as he destroys the only hold society ever had on him, the Cortlandt Housing Project. Howard Roark is a standard that one can strive towards, realistically, however, it would be almost impossible to follow in his footsteps. Even in striving to reach his level one conforms to a set of idea, in a sense one conforms to non-conformity. This novel illustrates in an effective manner that happiness must be reached through holding fast to one's own values. Perhaps defying society is not the path many would choose, but Ayn Rand certainly presents a challenge to all in her message of misery and happiness.
Throughout history, there have been many systems developed in order to have a better society. Two of the most analyzed, and debated systems that have tired to change an economy for the best are communism, and capitalism. Communism, and capitalism have been compared on many levels, such as why they will or will not work, and which one works better. Throughout this essay I will concentrate on the differences, and similarities of how each operates, along with the benefits, and problems that each of them produces.
Whether one thinks that the ideas of communism are good or bad, by taking a look a today’s society, we can certainly see the affect The Communist Manifesto and other books of its kind have had. Karl Marx’s ideas have shaped many programs and organizations to attempt following along the lines of equality.
There are many different types of political systems in the world today, some good, others not so much. Many countries go through different political systems before they reach a good fit. In this paper I choose to research about a regime that has always interested me, communism. To a lot of people communism holds negative connotations but the history behind this form of governance is one of desperation and revolution. Communism is a socialist movement to create a classless, moneyless, and stateless social order which is structured upon ownership of the means of production, as well as a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of this social order. (wiki.) Communism first came about as a theory of how to balance the powers between the bourgeois and the proletariat. According to the Marxist theory there are two stages of communism a higher-phase communism and a lower-phase communism. It is suggested that the Higher-phase of communism can only take place when the development of productivity leads to an excessive amount of final goods. This leads to the ability of distribution to the people based on need and social relations. In Marx’s theory of lower-phase communism, which is sometimes referred to as socialism, he suggests that upon the overthrow of capitalism, a new society is established in what he calls a transitional stage in human evolution which will then give rise to a fully communist society. (wiki.) The ideology behind communism isn’t harmful in anyway. In fact the word communism comes from the Latin word communis, which means “shared” or “belongs to all.” This was the main idea behind the communist movement, to share everything and no one has more than the other, for there to be no division in l...
Born from the revolutions of 1848 throughout Europe, Marxism sought to end the class struggles that were destroying the continent. The solution to the problems of all nations occurred to Marx to be Socialism, a branch that is presently known as Marxism. Under this seemingly “utopian” socioeconomic system, equality was granted to all citizens who were in essence a community of one. “. . . universal free education; arming of the people; a progressive income tax; limitations upon inheritance; state ownership of banks. . .”(Palmer 506). These rights of which constituted Marxism eventually went on to be incorporated in Leninism and modern-day socialism. At least in its beginning, the intent of Marxism and the Communist League were noble towards the goal o...
Karl Marx noted that society was highly stratified in that most of the individuals in society, those who worked the hardest, were also the ones who received the least from the benefits of their labor. In reaction to this observation, Karl Marx wrote The Communist Manifesto where he described a new society, a more perfect society, a communist society. Marx envisioned a society, in which all property is held in common, that is a society in which one individual did not receive more than another, but in which all individuals shared in the benefits of collective labor (Marx #11, p. 262). In order to accomplish such a task Marx needed to find a relationship between the individual and society that accounted for social change. For Marx such relationship was from the historical mode of production, through the exploits of wage labor, and thus the individual’s relationship to the mode of production (Marx #11, p. 256).
Communism has invariably influenced myriad intellectuals. Its ideas have dwindled for epochs. It sprouted controversy and confusion. Its promises to achieve a just and ordered society has gone into a romantic reverie. This means that it likes to generalize in broad, archetypal, if not stereotypical ideas aimed at class status, which seems that not applicable in pragmatic terms. It is a philosophy that holds many constituents that, although directly influenced by Marx's works, oppose each other, whether if it would be the "Stalinist" Right or the "Trotskyist" Left. It has a whole is an evolving ideology, in mathematical terms is a variable that necessarily is prone to constant augmentation. It is an obsolete theory in need of experimentation,
Communism is defined as an “economic-political philosophy founded by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the second half of the 19th century” (Communism). In a true communist community, society would exist without class divisions and “production and distribution of goods would be based upon the principle ‘From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs’” (Ball). The ideology was promoted as an end to the exploitation of workers. One of the main philosophies of communism is that “the needs of a society would be put above and beyond the specific needs of an individual” (Communism). Most communist states went through a phase, similar to socialism, and then the community would settle on a pure communist government.
It should not be surprising nowadays that Karl Marx’s name is often associated with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. After all, the USSR’s ideology was based on Marx’s ideas that were highlighted in his and Friedrich Engels’s “Communist Manifesto”. Consequently, it may seem that Marx’s idea of Communism and Soviet Communism are very similar. However, it is important to understand that Soviet Leaders only interpreted most of these ideas (Raico, 2010). As a result, there are undoubtedly some discrepancies that make these two ideas of communism quite different. Therefore, in order to find out how close was the Soviet Communism to Marx’s ideas, ten principles of communism, that are mentioned in “Communist Manifesto” and concern property,
Creating a successful society requires boundaries, however, a balanced society involves both laws and liberties. The city described in Ayn Rand’s “Anthem” novella takes the former to a cutthroat degree. The main character, Equality, goes from being submissive and complaint to aggressive and mutinous. The controls the city sets in place drive Equality to question his society gradually, until he breaks and is fully enveloped by rage against his home. He ends up going rogue and decides to embrace their world’s forgotten history by creating a new society that represents the opposite of what his previous life had ingrained in him. The rules that “Anthem”’s city set in place are misguided attempts to eliminate jealousy by not allowing any sort of individualism. Equality will not implement any of their rules in his society and will stress individuality, possibly to the extreme.