Comparing Alexis Tocqueville and Karl Marx Essay -- Politics Political

Comparing Alexis Tocqueville and Karl MarxWriting in the 1830s Tocqueville saw democracy as the way of the future, and envisioned a world where revolutions would be rare. Yet writing not long after that, with a thorough knowledge of Tocqueville, Marx predicted a season of revolutions. The difference between these two views comes from a distinguishable take on the encumbrance that the economy has on people. Both men saw the economy as producing an almost economically equal majority. For Tocqueville this majority was clean well-off and had the ability to attempt individual happiness by dint of material wellbeing, without concern to control the government. This pursuit of individualism would keep the people quiet and peaceful. For Marx this majority was poor and had nothing to abide by revolting. Poverty would unify the people beyond borders and they would work for change. Marx acknowledged the growing individualism that Tocqueville had identified, but underestimated it and he i gnore the possibility by which through democracy the wealthy could be isolated and ignored peaceably. According to Marx, The weapons with which the bourgeoisie felled feudalism to the ground are now sullen against the bourgeoisie itself. But not only has the bourgeoisie forged the weapons that bring death to itself it has also called into existence the men who are to wield these weapons ? the modern working class ? the proletarians. The proletariat is the sort out described in the Communist Manifesto as the 9/10th of the population which does not own private office. The private property he is referring to are not items of individual consumption, like toothbrushes or clothing, but the means of deed. The proletariat does not own the means of production but m... ...as to whether they willing be able to survive the growth of major chains like Wal-Mart. With the fall of small businesses, more and more people will be forced to cheat their labour-power to the large ones, and perhap s Marx was just a little before his time.Works CitedMarx, Karl. Civil War in France. In Karl Marx Selected Writings. Ed. Lawrence H. Simon. capital of Indiana Hackett publish Company, Inc. 1994. 301 - 314.Communist Manifesto. In Karl Marx Selected Writings. Ed. Lawrence H. Simon. Indianapolis Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 1994. 157 ? 186.Marginal Notes on Baukunin?s Statism and Anarchy. In Karl Marx Selected Writings. Ed. Lawrence H. Simon. Indianapolis Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 1994. 333 ? 338.Tocqueville, Alexis de. Democracy in America. abridge by Sanford Kessler. Indianapolis Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 2000. Comparing Alexis Tocqueville and Karl Marx Essay -- Politics PoliticalComparing Alexis Tocqueville and Karl MarxWriting in the 1830s Tocqueville saw democracy as the way of the future, and envisioned a world where revolutions would be rare. Yet writing not long after that, with a thorough knowledge of Tocqueville, Marx predicted a season of r evolutions. The difference between these two views comes from a different take on the effect that the economy has on people. Both men saw the economy as producing an almost economically equal majority. For Tocqueville this majority was fairly well-off and had the ability to seek individual happiness through material wellbeing, without concern to control the government. This pursuit of individualism would keep the people quiet and peaceful. For Marx this majority was poor and had nothing to lose by revolting. Poverty would unify the people beyond borders and they would work for change. Marx acknowledged the growing individualism that Tocqueville had identified, but underestimated it and he ignored the possibility by which through democracy the wealthy could be isolated and ignored peaceably. According to Marx, The weapons with which the bourgeoisie felled feudalism to the ground are now turned against the bourgeoisie itself. But not only has the bourgeoisie forged the weapons that br ing death to itself it has also called into existence the men who are to wield these weapons ? the modern working class ? the proletarians. The proletariat is the group described in the Communist Manifesto as the 9/10th of the population which does not own private property. The private property he is referring to are not items of individual consumption, like toothbrushes or clothing, but the means of production. The proletariat does not own the means of production but m... ...as to whether they will be able to survive the growth of major chains like Wal-Mart. With the fall of small businesses, more and more people will be forced to sell their labour-power to the large ones, and perhaps Marx was just a little before his time.Works CitedMarx, Karl. Civil War in France. In Karl Marx Selected Writings. Ed. Lawrence H. Simon. Indianapolis Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 1994. 301 - 314.Communist Manifesto. In Karl Marx Selected Writings. Ed. Lawrence H. Simon. Indianapolis Hackett Publ ishing Company, Inc. 1994. 157 ? 186.Marginal Notes on Baukunin?s Statism and Anarchy. In Karl Marx Selected Writings. Ed. Lawrence H. Simon. Indianapolis Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 1994. 333 ? 338.Tocqueville, Alexis de. Democracy in America. Abridged by Sanford Kessler. Indianapolis Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 2000.