File spoon-archives/marxism-intro.archive/marxism-intro_2000/marxism-intro.0010, message 32


From: PANDA-AT-pseud.pseud
Subject: M-INTRO: Are we ready for Marxism?
Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 09:05:50 -0700


I am currently enrolled in a class at my university studying Marx's
Capital. This is my first formal introduction to Marxism. I've heard about
Marxism. I knew he had something to do with socialism but I never read any
of his writings or knew anyone who was a Marxist (at least they never
revealed themselves to me). However, now that I have been reading Capital,
I am fascinated by Marx's method of deconstructing the capitalist economy
and examining it piece by piece to reveal its true aims.

Having lived in the US all my life I have never experienced any other
economy. Having worked for several large corporations in the US, I have had
occasion to question the motives of our capitalist economy. It seems I have
never been able to reconcile my feelings about how indifferent they are
toward people; customers or employees. I have always been outspoken about
my views and needless to say I haven't been successful at cultivating a
career in these companies.

Now that I have been introduced to Marxism I find myself becoming, not
inspired but maybe validated by what I am reading. Some of the criticisms I
have had about our economy seem to be expressed (much more in depth) by
Marx. Now I am not saying I am a Marxist but I can't help at times being
drawn into the ideas.

Now here's my question. Marx seemed to believe that people behave the way
they do in a capitalist economy not because of their inherent nature but
because the economy forces these social conventions on them. Only by
eliminating capitalism can people evolve to a more complex social system
where everybody gets what they need and contributes as a whole to satisfy
the well being of mankind. That somehow we will be less competitive and
driven by greed because capitalism will not force us into these behaviors.
But how is that supposed to work? It seems to me that capitalism exists
because of the nature of mankind or the nature of Nature. Nature or
evolution depends on competition. In order for mankind to adopt a system
like socialism we would have to evolve within capitalism, not without it,
to be able to eradicate our own natural instincts or at least suppress them
in order to see beyond the me first mentality. I think mankind has a long
way to go before we will be able to create an economy that could answer the
criticisms Marx had about capitalism.




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