Marxism
Professor ....
TA:
"None of the supposed rights of man go beyond the egoistic man, man as he is a member of civil society; that is, an individual separated from the community, withdrawn into himself, wholly preoccupied with his private interests and acting in accordance with his private caprice."
Karl Marx, On the Jewish Question
"The only freedom which deserves the name, is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it."
John Stuart Mill, On Liberty
While, after reading the above two quotations, it may appear that Karl Marx and John Stuart Mill take seemingly opposing views on the proper relationship between an individual and his or her community, a closer reading of the texts of Marx and Mill reveals that both Marx and Mill articulate a much more nuanced view on the ideal relationship between man and his society. By first analyzing Mill's views on the proper relationship between an individual and his community and then moving on to address Marx's views on the subject, this essay will argue that while Mill leaves the individual sovereign over his own actions, he does not deny the existence of obligations or duty to others. Marx, on the other hand, while trumpeting the ideals of communism, never looses sight of the importance of the personal development of man as an individual. Furthermore, Marx's view on the relationship between man and his community exists in an entirely different paradigm than that of Mill's. Mill views his "political emancipation" of man entirely within the context of previous human experience. Marx, however, longs for "human emancipation" and, with his materialistic worldview, is ready to throw out history in order for the creation of something better. Finally, this essay will...
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