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Marx believed that the bottom of the class or society has always been exploited,
especially labor class. This situation would put highly pressure on the social construction and
consequently lead to the social revolution. Marx did not illustrate this occurrence with a
concrete explanation. (Buntham, 2013). According to Brue and Grant (2007), Marx illustrated
the Exceed of Value as the following; the higher productivity of workforce which partially
caused to let Capitalists occur. The Capitalists may not occur if the productivity could have
been equal to workforce’s consumption. In other words, when workers were able to produce
outputs more than their consumption, this situation would lead to the circumstance of
exploitation of labor.
In Marx’ vision, society has been evolved through six stages (some scholars believed
that Marx demonstrated seven the evolution of seven stages). Marx’s theory of history
intentionally aims to demonstrate factors which cause changes in the procedures of production
historically. Additionally, the Marx’s theory of history is called historical materialism. The
historical materialism illustrates how societies have been organized from the pasts to current
is not hierarchical or capital concepts. Marx demonstrated that the primitive communism is
collective right to access basic resources without authorized regulations from social
relationships such as society (Misachi, 2017). To illustrate more, Brue and Grant (2007) have
stated that in the primitive communism, it is a common ownership, the productivity is in a low
level, and labor have to produce no more outputs than their needs.
outputs more than their needs. The slaves are considered as a profitability to owner. As a result,
exploitation of labor and confliction between different classes come out (Brue and Grant,
2007). According to Shimp (2009), classes came out. The powerful classes had ability to
control the surplus of production and also controlled the workforce class. The division of labor
had been under improvement. Unfortunately, immoral social conditions led low-class people
have a low life expectancy. In addition, this can be called as an Imperialism. It is the stage that
the strong people are deserved the right to regulate the rules. They start to own all land however
they are also intimidated by other strong people. This situation makes aristocracy occur
(Williams, 2013).
Move to the third stage which is feudalism. Feudalism develops from previous stage
from aristocracy to feudalism. In this stage, landlords are the owners and they have authorities
to use political and military implementations. The salves work for nothing but obtaining
necessities for living (Brue and Grant, 2007). Furthermore, as Shimp (2009) has states that
noble class tied labor class to their land. The labor class living in rural area worked or paid rent
to them. On the other hand, the class living in urban area may stick in guilds.
involving in economic life. The term relations of production are to utilize remaining raw
materials and innovations for production aims (Elwell, 2013). Capitalism boosts productivity.
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Marx also said that the procedures of production are concentrated and centralized, and the cycle
of private ownerships is becoming an obstacle to further development. It has also been pointed
out that the state is dominated under capitalists, and there is an increase in unemployment.
Capitalism makes new classes to replace feudal status (Brue and Grant, 2007).
Fifthly, in socialism, people can own private property. Nonetheless, capital and land
are owned by the government (Brue and Grant, 2007). The social structure of production is
relevant to public ownership. Economic base is a main determinant to tell the social conditions
Last but not least, in communism, production is proceeding without exploitation. What
citizens produce outputs and distribute to nation, they will definitely obtain it back according
to what they have distributed to. Marx emphasized on being equal. Individuals are not slaves
in several interpretable ways (Rosen, n.d.). Marx analyzed based on economic circumstances
because politics is seen as a confliction between different social classes which rooted from
conflict of interest. In capitalism, Marx believed that there are two classes in the society -
there will not be any class. All property belong to the central. Additionally, there will not be
All in all, Marx’s theory of history can be used to explain states’ history. According to
Brue and Grant’s book, there are six types of productions: primitive communism, slave society,
feudalism, capitalism, socialism, and communism. In each stage, we can see the improvement
from less productive to high productive, and each stage benefits to particular class.
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confliction between different classes. This is called the system of primitive communism (From
primitive communism to class society, n.d.). This would lead to an almost static state. In other
citizens. Citizens may definitely not enjoy consuming good and services, as it has been
demonstrated that people hunt and gather for traditional procedures. Society as a whole,
therefore, may not provide citizens several commodities because they have what they have
made from natural only. In addition, there is no government structure and laws control society.
People living in a small community without exploring and sharing commodities like people are
In this stage, it would benefit to nobles and elite classes, and it unfortunately restricts
and takes benefits away from worker class. It has been mentioned that the surplus of production
would be beneficial to the authorities only. This makes workers become less motivated because
all benefits are given to the ruling class. In addition, some situations are retrospecting similarly
to primitive communism, maybe become worse than primitive communism because rights to
enjoy commodities are given to the small group of society. As Brue and Grant (2009) have
stated that salves receive nothing for spending time for work but necessities for living.
In workforce class, people have a hard time to live because their duties are set up by
noble class. According to Lombardo (2015), workers crop and work to support their nobles,
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their cultivation makes money for them. If there is no sufficient outcome, they may be
punished. The working class seems to have limited freedoms. Moreover, people in the
feudalism state have almost never traveled other regions. Lambardo also pointed out that they
would have a chance to go outside their area if their nobles would like to enlarge their regions.
This also makes each state become an isolated state. Outsiders are seen as hostile people. In
this case, consequently, it is hard that local people would possibly go outside.
When capitalism is being discussed, this would possibly link to social relationships
determined by less government intervention, private ownerships, and market mechanism. Marx
believed that state is under domination of capitalists, and capitalism makes an increase in
unemployment (Brue and Grant, 2007). These result in trends of huge inequality. Some
capitalists may have a monopolistic authority. Benefits of society have been ignored by
capitalists because all capitalists try to gain more benefits to themselves. Furthermore,
capitalism makes inequality to societies which make obvious divisions of social class.
As Buntham (2013) has pointed out that the majority of society which refers to an
economic base can determine the social conditions such as cultures, laws, philosophies, and
religions. Which means the state runs and provides social welfare based on majority’s interests.
seems to be an imaginary concept because, in reality, workers will have more rights to seek for
higher income with less productivity. Socialism makes people’s lives too convenient. This also
makes citizens become less motivated in their work. It may result in decrease in aggregate
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exploitation from the nobles. Government should have an absolute power in order to control
all lands and all productions. The government then distributes national resources to citizens
equally. Hoyt (n.d.) states that communism intentionally purpose to make an equality
throughout economic and social activities. However, similar to socialism, it leads to less
motivation because whether people produce productively or not, they will receive the same
amount as others. In addition, even all powers are taken away by the government. That can be
implied that government may be an arbitrary system governing the state, and bureaucratic
Mechanism
significant policy intentionally comes out in order to increase the value of exports and try to
reduce an amount of import is monopolistic trade policy. Mercantilists try to collect gold and
silver to have more money taking into their country. In addition, Brue and Grant (2007) has
demonstrated the major theories of the mercantilist as the followings: wealth is determined by
gold and silver. Plus, there is an ideology, specifically called nationalism. This concept does
not allow colonized countries to trade with other countries but mother country. However, the
mother country believes that in order to become wealthier, the surplus of export needs to be
implemented. Furthermore, raw materials are imported with a tax exemption, and the mother
country does not allow domestic businesses export raw materials. Additionally, the government
make monopolistically privileges to companies which are doing foreign trades. Brue and Grant
has also mentioned that mechanism make benefits to merchant capitalists, monarchies, and
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bureaucratic officials. These can be called as rent seeking behavior. Mechanism use a
There are many powerfully influential economists in the age of mechanism – Thomas
Mun, Gerard Malynes, Charles Davenant, Jean Baptiste Colbert, and Sir William Petty.
Profitability
In mechanism, merchants are seeking wealth to their own. All surplus of value has been
taken by monarchies, nobles, and merchants. Mechanism intentionally tries to gain wealthy
through monopolistic trades which means one side gain benefits and another side may lose. On
the contrary, Marx believes that all powers should be in governments’ hand. All productions
have been produced and allocated to citizens equally. There is no extra-benefit given to
particular persons.
Dimensions of Society
Mechanism occurs within the age of feudalism. There are several classes in the society:
monarchies, nobles, mercantilist, and working class. Nevertheless, the working class has been
treated unfairly. In an opposite way, Marx wants to demolish the class. Without any class, there
will not be cases of e10xploitation of labor and surplus of value will be granted to all people in
Equality
and intellectuals such as lawyers are also seen as unproductivity. According to Brue and Grant
(2007), hard-working and low paid population are able to enter industry are favored by Colbert.
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In addition, people can be exempted from taxes if they get married early and they have more
than ten children in their family. However, Marx believes that individuals are not slaves. What
people have produced outputs and contributed to the nation, they will get it all. It is different
Policy
In mechanism, Mun, Davenant and Calbert have a similar element in trade policy which
is a surplus of export. This policy makes nation gain more wealth. In contrast, Marx does not
concern on trade policy. He emphasizes on classes which can be inferred as a policy too. In
communism, government is a central, and all property belong to the state. All government
policies are to serve the citizens and nation. In other words, mechanism highly concerns on
profitability and the money gaining in the nation, but Marxism concerns on being equal and
the way to demolish class which can lead to unfairness of differences between classes.
Conclusions
In the first part of this essay, it is mentioned to the theory of history by Marx. It can be
called as historical materialism as well. There are six stages that Marx has demonstrated –
primitive capitalism is non structured government. People hunt and gather for their needs, slave
society is that slaves are considered as a profitability to owners, feudalism is a development
from the slave society, capitalism is productivity seeking, last socialism and communism are
almost similar in terms of serving people. However, in communism, all poverty belongs to the
government. In socialism, some business poverty still remains to business owners. In the
second part, there are discussion for each stage because each has a unique and can be
implemented in different periods of time. Next, in the third part, it is a short explanation of
mechanism, mechanism is a rent seeking and trying to gain wealth to nation with monopolies
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and domestic policies which are beneficial to high classes and put pressure on working class.
Lastly, there are comparisons the differences between mechanism and Marxism. Marx is
focusing on equality by eliminating class, but mechanism is looking for business transactions.
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References
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