1. Comparing Socialism
Though the various forms of Marxist socialism in 19th century Europe were all based on the same principles, they varied significantly in their outward beliefs. Karl Marx laid the foundation for the development of widespread socialism and communism through the writing of The Communist Manifesto with Friedrich Engels in 1848. Written at the height of industrialization and the negative effects that come with any great change, Marx expressed resentment for the wealthy bourgeoisie, and advocated for a revolution led by the poor and propertyless proletariat. However, his words were seldom taken literally; many factions of people adapted the general philosophies for their own purposes. For example, Eduard Bernstein promoted …show more content…
In that same document, he goes on to write about how both positive and negative changes come with industrialization, and the growing working class will have the power to influence democratic institutions in their favor without having to overthrow the wealthy capitalists. This fundamental belief created a division between the more moderate revisionists and the orthodox Marxists. In addition to the strong Marxists and the less severe revisionists, a group of rising socialist women emerged during this time period. As the working class grew and the role of women changed during industrialization, feminists began questioning the root of the gender roles which were constantly forced on them. This questioning parallels the socialist belief that the root of most struggles is social classism; strong Marxist women tended to believe that the sexism was a result of classes in capitalist society, whereas other women often believed that the issue was independent of class. Clara Zetkin, a German feminist and socialist, wrote about the German Social Democratic Party's efforts with regard to women's rights in 1909. In her writing, she advocates for the politicalization of women, which contradicts the type bourgeois women's belief that women need to be a part of an …show more content…
Of the ones presented in the documents, Marx would likely have approved the most of Lenin's views on socialism. Lenin was most severe in his socialism, and he agreed with Marx about the politics of a revolution, not just the economics as many did. Lenin wholeheartedly supported Marx's call for revolution, though he believed that the revolution would need to be strictly organized. Marx would likely have been least supportive of Bernstein, because in many ways Bernstein denied Marx's ideas. In his document Evolutionary Socialism, Bernstein directly criticizes the Manifesto: "The adherents of this theory of a catastrophe, base it especially on the conclusions of the Communist Manifesto. This is a mistake..." (Bernstein). Instead, Bernstein advocated for allowing industrialization and the changes it brought to run its course and naturally become a more democratic institution. Though it was the least adherent to Marx's black-and-white theory, this idea would likely have had the most appeal in the United States as it is the most democratically motivated of the ideas presented. His ideas focus less on dramatic revolution and more on gradual changes over time to accomplish certain goals. A manager or owner of a modern industrial enterprise would likely frown upon these ideas. Leaders in large industries in the modern world know the advantages of a
Though the various forms of Marxist socialism in 19th century Europe were all based on the same principles, they varied significantly in their outward beliefs. Karl Marx laid the foundation for the development of widespread socialism and communism through the writing of The Communist Manifesto with Friedrich Engels in 1848. Written at the height of industrialization and the negative effects that come with any great change, Marx expressed resentment for the wealthy bourgeoisie, and advocated for a revolution led by the poor and propertyless proletariat. However, his words were seldom taken literally; many factions of people adapted the general philosophies for their own purposes. For example, Eduard Bernstein promoted …show more content…
In that same document, he goes on to write about how both positive and negative changes come with industrialization, and the growing working class will have the power to influence democratic institutions in their favor without having to overthrow the wealthy capitalists. This fundamental belief created a division between the more moderate revisionists and the orthodox Marxists. In addition to the strong Marxists and the less severe revisionists, a group of rising socialist women emerged during this time period. As the working class grew and the role of women changed during industrialization, feminists began questioning the root of the gender roles which were constantly forced on them. This questioning parallels the socialist belief that the root of most struggles is social classism; strong Marxist women tended to believe that the sexism was a result of classes in capitalist society, whereas other women often believed that the issue was independent of class. Clara Zetkin, a German feminist and socialist, wrote about the German Social Democratic Party's efforts with regard to women's rights in 1909. In her writing, she advocates for the politicalization of women, which contradicts the type bourgeois women's belief that women need to be a part of an …show more content…
Of the ones presented in the documents, Marx would likely have approved the most of Lenin's views on socialism. Lenin was most severe in his socialism, and he agreed with Marx about the politics of a revolution, not just the economics as many did. Lenin wholeheartedly supported Marx's call for revolution, though he believed that the revolution would need to be strictly organized. Marx would likely have been least supportive of Bernstein, because in many ways Bernstein denied Marx's ideas. In his document Evolutionary Socialism, Bernstein directly criticizes the Manifesto: "The adherents of this theory of a catastrophe, base it especially on the conclusions of the Communist Manifesto. This is a mistake..." (Bernstein). Instead, Bernstein advocated for allowing industrialization and the changes it brought to run its course and naturally become a more democratic institution. Though it was the least adherent to Marx's black-and-white theory, this idea would likely have had the most appeal in the United States as it is the most democratically motivated of the ideas presented. His ideas focus less on dramatic revolution and more on gradual changes over time to accomplish certain goals. A manager or owner of a modern industrial enterprise would likely frown upon these ideas. Leaders in large industries in the modern world know the advantages of a