Which Philosopher Benefits the Working Class Essay

Which Philosopher Benefits the Working Class - Essay Example For example, Karl Marx is well known as the Father of Communism and his theories are being followed by some modern governments. It is interesting to study the views and theories of these historical thinkers and see how they serve to explain modern day structures and events. Some philosophers can concretely be proved more accurate than others while some theories are still matters of debate. At the base, what truly matters is the individual and where they see themselves. One may take upon oneself a theory as their self-description while another may very well deny the same theory and choose an alternative or opposing view. Herein shall be examined the position of various philosophers: Lenin, Marx, Smith, and Ortega y Gasset, as they relate to the life of one who is deemed â€Å"working class.† Vladimir Lenin was one of the great Russian political figures and a great thinker of the twentieth century (Historical Figures n.p.). He is the one responsible for the political structure o f the USSR. In Russia, he took up a fight on behalf of the working class. It was his position that the working class needed to be rescued from the capitalist oppressors that placed heavy burdens upon them. According to Lenin, a communist lifestyle greatly benefits the working class. They have the right to be free from those who would exploit them for the sake of financial gain. In his eyes, the capitalists regarded the working class as no more than a commodity and they used them to benefit their own pockets without regard for the suffering that the working class had to endure. However, Lenin acknowledged the fact that the tendency of the working class is not to take upon themselves a socialist society and that they, if the opportunity was presented, would simply switch from being the proletariat to being the bourgeois. As it has been reported, â€Å"†¦Lenin therefore concluded that if the proletariat was ever to realize its class interest the socialist idea would have to be br ought to it â€Å"from without† by those who understood Marx’s science†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Mayer159). It would seem that Lenin missed the mark in regard to the needs of the working class. The first and most obvious proof is the failure of his design, namely the USSR. Secondly, he neglected to fully recognize the cravings of the working class to be free from oppression. He did not see that his introduction of a socialist society is yet again just another form of oppression. For if the working class desires to advance in status, there ought be nothing to stop them but their own lack of determination. Yet, living in a socialist society, those who desire such freedoms would have to flee the country or abandon hope. Lenin is not accurate in the position of the working class from the view of a working class citizen. However, Lenin was not alone in his belief that socialism and communism are what will benefit the working class the most. His thoughts were greatly founded upon the vi ews of another well-known philosopher, Karl Marx. Marx, often considered the Father of Communism, also felt that capitalism was a social ill because it degraded the working class to a commodity for the rich whom they would serve. Marx blames private ownership and the ability to get wealth for many of the problems of society. Therefore, he prescribed a system where there would be no private ownership. Still, his views are not accurate to the working class who, without the ability to own privately, ends up working endlessly for naught. At least those who are working class and living in a capitalist society have the ability to hope for greatness and wealth. It is this hope that excites and brightens the eyes. They work all the harder, not only in their positions, but to improve