Analysis of “The Wealth of Nations”
The excerpt from Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” supports the belief of a laissez faire economic system, in which the people should dictate the economy with little, if any government intervention. Smith argues that the government should only attend to three principal functions. The government should protect society “from the violence and invasion of other independent societies” (p.132), as well as “from the injustice or oppression of every other member” (p.132) of the society. In addition to this protection, the government should provide and maintain public institutions and works for the enrichment of the society. Government should not be allowed to control the economy because there should not be one supreme authority. One supreme authority can not be trusted for this power “would nowhere be so dangerous as in the hands of a man who had folly ad presumption enough to fancy himself fit to exercise it.” (p.131) Not only is the economy safer from corruption with it in the hands of the individuals, society as a whole will also benefit. Individuals will strenuously work to produce as much capital as possible, in an attempt to promote their own gain. With putting forth this passionate labor in the economy, the individual will better society with out even knowing that he is doing it. This promotion of society champions that of government because as Smith notes that “I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good.” (p.131)
The invisible hand should be left to guide the economy and society. This natural law is a result of every man being “left perfectly free to pursue his own interest his own way and bring both his industry and capital into competition with those of any other man.”(p.132) This freedom allows man to promote himself and the community through ways that could be prohibited if there was a governmental control. Because of the competition within the individuals the economy will boost itself to the highest possible level. Therefore the guidance by the invisible hand is ideal because it will not hinder the individuals from competing. With the government providing only what its people need to thrive, the individuals can concentrate solely on producing capital.
TheWealth of Nations” is the work of Adam Smith.
An Analysis of the “Communist Manifesto”
Throughout history there have been distinct social ranks within each society, ranging from the patricians, knights, plebeians, and slaves in ancient Rome, to the caste system of the Middle Ages that included feudal lords, vassals, guild-masters, journeymen, apprentices, and serfs. Despite the passing of time there has always and will always be some “complicated arrangement of society into various orders, a manifold gradation of social rank.” (p. 182) Because of the separation, each rank eventually grows hostile toward another and conflict becomes inevitable. The lower classes become oppressed by the higher classes and a struggle usually ensues, in which a revolution will occur or the further oppression of the contending class. Now, a conflict has arisen between the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat classes. The Bourgeoisie is the higher to middle class who runs the industries and economy while the Proletariat class is the lower class that is made up almost entirely by factor workers. As more industrialization occurs and technologies advance, the factories are able to produce more goods, thus giving the Bourgeoisie a greater profit. The Bourgeoisie desires to obtain as much capital as possible and even compete within their class for wealth, and in this competition, the Proletariat class suffers. In an effort to produce maximum capital and produce it in the most cost efficient way, the workers were forced to work long hours in tough working conditions, with very little pay. The worker’s lives were consumed by their job and technological advances made their jobs even worse. Before industrialization, goods were produced by individuals who specialized in a line of work. Now all creativity has been removed and goods are produced uniformly. The proletarians no longer have the freedom express their individuality in their work; rather they have “becomes an appendage of the machine.” (p.184) Because of the uniform production and simplicity of the machine operation, anyone could work. It was not only men working in the factories, women and children were also able to operate the machinery. Thus, most aspects of proletarian life were controlled by the controls imposed by the bourgeoisie.
Occasionally the workers of the proletarian class would unite against the bourgeoisie. While the workers would protest things such as wage rate but would often be unsuccessful and riot. However the protest occasional did work and brought about such change as the introduction of the ten-hour bill, which limited the number of hours women and children could work. This legislation is important but the main reason the assembly of workers is significant is the “ever-expanding unity” (p.184) in which they have shown. Now the proletariats feel as if they are in a completely different class as the bourgeoisie and no longer have anything in common because of their oppression. The proletarians are not allowed to become important figures in society nor are they allowed to have property. For these reasons, the proletarians must wage a civil war with the bourgeoisie so the proletarians no longer must live under the control of the bourgeoisie. The development of the modern industry and the civil war with the bourgeoisie will cause the disappearance of the classes. With the disappearance of the classes, private property will also disappear and the proletariats will finally be viewed as equals to the bourgeoisie.
The Communists consists of “the most advanced and resolute section of the working class parties of every country” (p.186) and they try and achieve the “ultimate general results of the proletarian movement.” (p.186) The aim or goal of the Communists is the “formation of the proletariat into a class, overthrow of the bourgeois supremacy, and the conquest of political power by the proletariat.” (p.186) Communism does not believe in private property nor does it believe in the previous history of mankind in the world. From the beginning of time there has been a social order. Despite the changes in old and creation of new government, religions and philosophies, the social order and the oppression of the lower class has remained in tact. The social orders have taken numerous forms “but whatever form they may have taken, one fact is common to all past ages, the exploitation of one part of society by the other.” (p.187) Communism ends removes the social order, thus preventing the exploitation of peoples. In Communism everyone is viewed as the same and presented with the same opportunities. Because the working class has already revolted against the bourgeoisie the proletariats have moved to the ruling class. Thus the proletariats can use their political weight to seize all of the bourgeoisie’s capital and in turn, the bourgeoisie would be helpless without financial support. With the bourgeoisie removed, “we shall have an association in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all.” (p.187) A society with no bourgeoisie or any classes for that matter is ideal because people will then truly will be free. Members of the proletarian class should not hesitate from joining the revolution against the bourgeoisie because with the revolt, they can only improve their current social position. The theory of Communism is simple and they party does not attempt to conceal their beliefs; they simple desire the “overthrow of all existing social conditions.” (p.187)
The “Communist Manifesto” was written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
