SOSC 1140
Short Essay II
D’Arcy Fine 211333507
Engels, Friedrich. Anti-Duhring. Friedrich. Anti-Duhring. Herr Eugen Duhring's Eugen Duhring's Revolution in Science. International Publishers, 1939. (pp. 292-310).
Friedrich Engels alongside Karl Marx, is one of the founding fathers of socialism and socialist thought. In his work Anti-Duhring, Anti-Duhring, Engels presents his arguments against the capitalist system that so dominates the world stage. According to En gels, the driving force of all human action is that of economics every other oth er action flows logically from resource production and purchase. Engels also argues that capitalism is inherently contradictory, and therefore will will ultimately lead to its own downfall. The growth and crash of the economy can only continue for so long before permanently failing. Out of the ashes of the capitalist state will rise a socialist utopia, in which all of a person’s basic needs will be met.
Engels takes an approach to history called historical materialism. In historical materialism, one must examine the means and form of material production within society. It is production, and alongside production the resulting exchange of products that determine how a society is formed and how class is divided. Class ha s always been present but is becoming be coming more distinct and sharply divided by the capitalist economy Social change and growth is all driven by economic production and materials. “the ultimate causes o f all social changes and political revolutions are to be sought, not in the minds of men.......but in changes in the mode of production and exchange.” (Engels 292) 292) It is the economy that is most important in understanding how a state and society societ y is shaped. Modes of production must be studied and from that all class inequalities will show.
SOSC 1140
Short Essay II
D’Arcy Fine 211333507
Unregulated capitalism in its purest form is fundamentally contradictory according to Engels. What is a controlled and machine like process in the factory, actually leads to anarchy within society both for the bourgeoisie and p roletariat (worker) classes. Engels states that one of the most glaring contradictions is: “between the organization of production in the individual factory and the anarchy of production in society as a whole.” (Engels 299) The bourgeoisie factory boss, does not actually know how much demand there is for his product, or if there is any market at all. (Engels 297) He is gambling that his product will sell, and create him profit. To make his cost of producing lower and to increase his chance of making profit, the owner is actually taking steps that lead to his own failure. Lowering of wages, longer hours, and t he general mistreatment of the worker, create lower costs, but the factory owner has created a populace that can no longer purchase the product. A surplus will develop and although surplus is a hallmark of capitalism, this is actually a surplus of the worst sort.
Through the creation of a surplus of products that many cannot afford to purchase, the system must crash. “The mode of production rebel s against the mode of exchange; the productive forces rebel against the mode of production, which they have outgrown .” (Engels, p. 302) Workers will be laid off as the factory is not selling enough products to make a profit, and maintain a full workforce. Factories will eventually either shut down or substantially cut their workforce. This of course leads to even less product being purchased, the capitalist economy will fail and all workers will suffer. Eventually however onc e enough factories close, products will start to be purchased again and factories will reopen and rehire. A vicious boom bust cycle takes hold of the economy with each crash becoming worse and worse. The producer
SOSC 1140
Short Essay II
D’Arcy Fine 211333507
loses control of the product and is at the whim of the market. Sooner rather then later, the owner is no longer owning the product but rather being controlled by it.
However according to Engels not all is bleak. He believes that this system will end up actually being the key to its own downfall. To start, more and more of the large companies become state property and as such the bourgeoisie's roles are taken over by the state. Simultaneously, the majority of the populace beco mes part of the working proletariat class. (Engels 304) Society becomes dominated by a united proletariat who are able to take control of the forces of production from the state. Once these forces are in the hands of the people, real change can be started. Engels uses the analogy of captured lightning in a bottle to explain the forces of production in the hands of society. A potentially destructive force harnessed for the good of all.
Destructive forces will be studied and their true nature will be un covered. Social production once a form of anarchy, will be manipulated to suit society as a whole. Social production will be planned out and only that which is needed will be produced. Excess will disappear, and with it all of the ills associated with it. Eventually even government will no longer be necessary to regulate society, and will disappear naturally into the history books. No human will ever again be wanting for basic human needs. Through this, humanity will be able to flourish and reach its true potential, “man, who know for the first time becomes the conscious master of Nature.” (Engels 309) Utopian he may be in his view on human cooperation and potential, but Engels really does believe that this will come to pass once capitalism reaches its breaking point.
SOSC 1140
Short Essay II
D’Arcy Fine 211333507
As one reads the early socialist theorists one becomes q uiet aware of the sense of hope and faith in humanity that they present. Yes currently society is on a downward path, but in the long run a society for the good of all will take hold. Engels vehemently believes that capitalism is contradictory in how it functions economically and socially. Studying economics reveals to him that capitalism creates order within the factory, but anarch y everywhere else. This cycle of growth and reduction will eventually lead to a strong working class that will stand united and push for an egalitarian future. After production is in the hands of all, a better world will come about. Whether this will ever happen is still up for debate but regardless, Engels passionately believed it can and will.
