Karl Marx's Critique of Capitalism in 'The Communist Manifesto' and Beyond

Karl Marx is primarily known for his seminal work 'The Communist Manifesto,' but his critique of capitalism extends far beyond this single document. Marx was deeply critical of the capitalist system, detailing its exploitative nature, social alienation, and inherent contradictions.

Capitalism in 'The Communist Manifesto'

In 'The Communist Manifesto,' Marx and his collaborator Friedrich Engels provided a scathing critique of the capitalist system. They identified the bourgeoisie (the ruling class) as the driving force behind this system and its myriad issues. Marx and Engels noted that the bourgeoisie had stripped away the spiritual and moral veil from various professions, transforming them into mere commodities:

“It has resolved personal worth into exchange value and in place of the numberless indefeasible chartered freedoms it has set up that single undivided dogma—Free Trade. In one word, for exploitation, veiled by religious and political illusions, it has substituted naked, shameless, direct, brutal exploitation.”

They further described the effects of capitalism on society, highlighting how it leads to periodic crises and a dehumanizing work environment for the proletariat (working class). According to Marx and Engels, capitalism not only exploits the working class but also dehumanizes them:

“Owing to the extensive use of machinery and to division of labour the work of the proletarians has lost all individual character and consequently all charm for the workman. He becomes an appendage of the machine and it is only the most simple, most monotonous and most easily acquired knack that is required of him. Hence the cost of production of a workman is restricted almost entirely to the means of subsistence that he requires for maintenance and for the propagation of his race.”

The Underlying Principles and Contradictions of Capitalism

Marx's critique of capitalism goes beyond the surface-level analysis presented in 'The Communist Manifesto.' In his unfinished work 'Capital,' he delves into the deeper principles and internal contradictions of capitalism. Marx identified the bourgeoisie's inability to provide an adequate standard of living for its own workers, a situation that he believed was unsustainable:

“The modern labourer, on the contrary, not only fails to rise with the progress of industry; he sinks deeper and deeper below the conditions of existent of his own class. He therefore becomes a pauper and pauperism develops more rapidly than population and wealth.”

Marx argued that capitalism cannot sustain itself and must be replaced with a system in which workers have collective control over labor conditions and the means of production:

“Society can no longer live under this bourgeoisie. In other words, its existence is no longer compatible with society.”

Other Critical Analyses of Capitalism

Marx's critique of capitalism extends beyond 'The Communist Manifesto' and 'Capital.' In his book 'Wages, Price and Profit,' Marx explored how capitalists extract profit by controlling the 'surplus value' generated by workers labor. He argued that wages are determined by the cost of labor power, but the value produced by workers exceeds this cost, creating a surplus value that is appropriated by the bourgeois owners:

“The value which the labourer produces with that labour power… exceeds the cost of the labour power—surplus value beyond the cost of labour power wages and the other resources, machinery and supplies used to produce it.”

In his ambitious project, Marx aimed to understand the 'laws of motion' of capitalism and identify the internal contradictions that would eventually lead to its supersession by a socialist system. He examined the impacts of capitalism in various sectors, including agriculture, transportation, distribution, and finance, all in an effort to build a scientifically grounded critique of the capitalist system:

“These were key aspects of his effort to put socialism on what he termed a 'scientific' basis.”

Conclusion

Ultimately, Karl Marx's critique of capitalism is a culmination of his extensive work, which spans several volumes and numerous texts. His analysis was not limited to a mere critique of capitalism but aimed to provide the theoretical framework for a new, more equitable system. The enduring relevance of Marx's work lies in its ability to provide a critical lens through which we can examine and improve contemporary capitalist systems.