You would think in order for a society to push forward, it should strive for constant growth, but that is almost most certainly not the case. A period of slow and steady constant growth may lead to progress, but at a very slow rate. Surprisingly, a conflict is the most efficient and successful way an adapting society becomes better. A conflict is a result of two incompatible situations. These two situations cannot be present at the same time, so one must change or reform for the conflict to be solved. In Karl Marx’s “Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts” we see the effect of conflict on how they polish economic structures in society. It is conflict that Marx states leads to social reform, which also leads to the tension in his writing.
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One of Karl Marx’s strongest opinions is that wealth is a representative measure of power, and those few with wealth are able to contain power over the masses. Marx states early on that, “Man becomes ever poorer as a man, and needs ever more money if he is to achieve mastery over the hostile being”(Marx 358). The translation of wealth to power creates man’s huge need in society to obtain as much wealth as possible. It is only natural for man to chase after power, so in turn he chases after wealth. By doing this, man is left with an internal conflict. He works for his capital, and is given two options; spend your capital living your life to the fullest, or build your capital up in hopes of obtaining power. The less you spend on eating, drinking, partying, etc. the greater your capital becomes. In this case, you’d be living life with poor quality not enjoying any of life’s pleasures. You would have no time to do anything other than work. Therefore, you are basically working for no reason as you are unable to use the power you have obtained. Then again, you could spend that capital on any sort of entertainment and improve the quality of your life, but have very little capital and be stuck without much power. Marx describes it as, “the less you are, the less you give expression to your life, the more you have, the greater is your alienated life and the more you store up of your estranged life”(Marx 361). While some people enjoy only working and not living, in this situation, they are unable to use the power they have gained from their capital. All of their time is consumed raising capital that they have no time to reap the benefits that they were chasing all along. While this is a conflict that provides society with a problem that they
One of Karl Marx’s strongest opinions is that wealth is a representative measure of power, and those few with wealth are able to contain power over the masses. Marx states early on that, “Man becomes ever poorer as a man, and needs ever more money if he is to achieve mastery over the hostile being”(Marx 358). The translation of wealth to power creates man’s huge need in society to obtain as much wealth as possible. It is only natural for man to chase after power, so in turn he chases after wealth. By doing this, man is left with an internal conflict. He works for his capital, and is given two options; spend your capital living your life to the fullest, or build your capital up in hopes of obtaining power. The less you spend on eating, drinking, partying, etc. the greater your capital becomes. In this case, you’d be living life with poor quality not enjoying any of life’s pleasures. You would have no time to do anything other than work. Therefore, you are basically working for no reason as you are unable to use the power you have obtained. Then again, you could spend that capital on any sort of entertainment and improve the quality of your life, but have very little capital and be stuck without much power. Marx describes it as, “the less you are, the less you give expression to your life, the more you have, the greater is your alienated life and the more you store up of your estranged life”(Marx 361). While some people enjoy only working and not living, in this situation, they are unable to use the power they have gained from their capital. All of their time is consumed raising capital that they have no time to reap the benefits that they were chasing all along. While this is a conflict that provides society with a problem that they