Geoffrey Owens - 447641

In his Manifesto of the Communist Party, Karl Marx lays out a case for
the worlds working class the proletariat to unite and overthrow the
bourgeoisie and their system of capitalism. Arguing that capitalism depends
on the exploitation of workers, he makes the claim that an entirely new
system is necessary for the cause of emancipating humanity from these
exploitative bonds. Specifically, he argues that while capitalism has led to
great advances in human existence, its exceedingly broadly applied theories
and relentless exploitation should not be continued, and it has placed the
world in a prime position to receive communism.
Marx unambiguously admits that capitalism has greatly raised human
potential and quality of life. Technologically, it has given rise to incredible
wonders: it has [shown] what mans activity can bring about (476).
Industrialization has enabled us to harness the forces of nature for our own
good, emancipating humanity from its unpredictable power (477).
Bourgeois capitalism has also helped to free humans from petty nationalism.
For instance, he states that from the world market we have universal
inter-dependence of nations, and from the numerous national and local
literatures, there arises a world literature, (476-7). This will ultimately aid
in the elimination of exploitation of one nation by another, which he
claims is already decreasing thanks to capitalism (488). However, perhaps
the most notable change that capitalism has created is that of the structure
of social order. Marx describes the explicit class structures of earlier

epochs, ranging from patricians to slaves, in comparison to the present two

great classes directly facing each other: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat, (474).
Capitalism purports to present a more fluid class system, destroying the
ties that bound man to his natural superiors (475). It would seem that
without these explicit, societal boundaries people will be bound by the same
rules and conditions, and enjoy relative equality. Instead, however, this is
where we first see the false universalism that Marx diagnoses in modern
society leading to harmful effects.
While capitalism ostensibly offers everyone the same rights and
freedoms, Marx claims that these are either not enjoyed by all, or not in fact
valid freedoms. Containing all of these is the single, overarching freedom
of free trade, or, cast in another light, competition (475). Although
theoretically the proletariat compete on a level playing field with each other
and the bourgeoisie, due to machinery, the work of the proletarians has
lost all individual character and as such, workers must sell themselves as
a commodity in order to survive (479). This competition, in fact, often turns
them against each other (480). Ultimately, Marx argues that wage labor a
necessary tool for capitalist oppression is based upon competition (483).
Wage labor, meanwhile, drives the worker to a position below that of a slave
who is assured conditions under which it can, at least, assure its slavish
existence (483). Evidently, this theory of universal competition is wrongly
applied, as it is not only immediately harmful to the workers, but ultimately
to the system itself, as shall later be shown.

Marx delves further into false universalism while anticipating possible

objections to communism. Each objection which is based on some right
guaranteed by capitalism is struck down with the argument that the
proletariat is not afforded said right. The first instance of this is the
sanctified right of hard-won, self-acquired, self-earned property, which to
Marx only exists only due to, and depends upon, the constant exploitation of
labor (484-5). This universal right of private property exists only for the few
due to its non-existence in the hands of [the many], and therefore cannot
rightly be a universal right, as when extended to all, only few may exercise
it (486). Similar accusations are lodged regarding culture, family, and
nationality, and struck down in a similar manner. Marx roots all of this false
universalism of rights in the selfish misconception that induces you to
transform into universal laws of nature and of reason, the social forms
springing from your present mode of production and form of property
(487). In other words, as the ruling class benefits from present systems, it
only follows that they perceive these systems as eternal truths, elevating
conditions of capitalism into holy principles accepted as axioms of humanity.
Fortunately for Marx and humanity bourgeois capitalism has
placed the proletariat in an ideal position to challenge these failed universal
principles. Since the proletariat which has been divided into a starkly
separate class from those who rule no longer benefits from the capitalist
system, it is now well placed to challenge the universal truths that Marx
rails against. He describes the constantly changing landscape of the

bourgeois epoch and claims that all that is holy is profaned, and man is at
last compelled to face with sober senses, his real conditions of life (476).
This profanation extends even to those rights which capitalism puts forth as
holy for instance, free trade becomes a tool of oppression. Meanwhile, as
capitalism advances, the class division strengthens, flattening the
proletariat and causing their interests to further align (480). In this sense,
capitalism is aiding the development of human emancipation, even against
its own interest. It plants the seeds of its own destruction, as it must
ultimately run out of new markets to exploit (476). However, it could be
claimed that the capitalist project is not inherently doomed; that it is not
fated to failure at the hands of its discontents if a certain standard of living
is established such as the bourgeois socialists might desire (496). Under
this argument, capitalism is not as directly harmful to human emancipation
as one might think, and perhaps tis universal beliefs are not flawed. Marx
refutes in an explanation of a key nature of capitalism: capital is
independent and individuality, while the living person is dependent and has
no individuality (465). Capitalism even if it fulfills peoples needs still
robs workers of their agency, and as such is directly harmful to the goals of
emancipation.
Marx not only speaks against capitalism, but also against the
principles that it promotes as broadly applicable false universalism.
Capitalism has played an important role in ending the class struggles that
bind humanity by reducing the number of players to two but to preserve

itself, it must preserve that class structure. Furthermore, this class

structure supported by these flawed eternal truths is inherently
exploitative, further diminishing the cause of emancipation. To treat this
diagnosis, Marx proposes not new universal truths, but rather new universal
interests.