Introduction
The relations of human beings within society have always been characterized by the considerable complexity of processes and theories developed by various scholars to explain the mentioned processes. The idea of class inequality and the struggle of classes in society acquired considerable importance in the middle of the 19th century when Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels compiled their Manifesto of the Communist Party, a milestone work in the study of social development.
The Communist Manifesto
Essence
The essence of the Manifesto of the Communist Party by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels is within the concepts of communism, the decline of capitalism, the class struggle, and the ability of the working class, i. e. proletariat, to come to power in every country of the world in future (Marx, Engels, and Jones, 2002, p. 12). The notable feature of the Manifesto is the concept of equality of all people in poverty and the absence of property as contrasted to other philosophies acknowledging the equality of humans in developing their wellbeing and realizing their opportunities.
Relation to Other Works
de Condorcet
Thus, for example, the work by Marquis de Condorcet (2008) titled Outlines of a historical view of the progress of the human mind relates to the Manifesto only in the point that acknowledges the steady development of mankind. At the same time, de Condorcet (2008, p. 9) argues about the evolutionary path of progress in contrast to the revolutionary methods of gaining the proletariat power promoted by Marx and Engels.
Lock
Locke’s view on the theory of social development is related to the Manifesto points but again only in general points concerning the equality of human beings and the right of ordinary people to be actual power in every country (Locke, 2004, p. 11). At the same time, Locke sees no place for revolution in the society and argues about the notions of the natural state and natural law, social contract and civil state designed by the people and for the people, in which the government is subordinated to people and only serves for reaching their goals.
Smith
Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations can also be related to the Manifesto’s general themes regarding the economics and phases of social development connected with it, but the feature that distinguishes this work from the one by Marx and Engels is that Smith (2000, p. 31) actually condemns revolution considering the history of Roman Empire and see more evil than good in this way of changing the social structure and giving the power to ordinary people.
Jefferson
Interestingly, the Declaration of Independence of the United States originally written by Thomas Jefferson and adopted in 1776 seems the most related to the Manifesto of the Communist Party in the sense of people’s equality and the possibility of taking all, even military, measures to protect this equality, gain freedom and democracy in the country (Jefferson, 2002, pp. 1 – 2). At the same time, the value of people’s wealth is the distinguishing factor for these two works as the Manifesto promotes the abolition of private property, while the Declaration praises any legal expression of human rights and freedoms.
Conclusion
Thus, the Manifesto of the Communist Party can be related to the works by de Condorcet, Jefferson, Locke, and Smith to different extents and in different ways. There are similarities and differences between the Manifesto and other analyzed works. The major similarity is in acknowledging the equality of humans, but the main observed difference is the way, either evolutionary or revolutionary, to achieve this equality.
Works Cited
de Condorcet, Marquis. Outlines of a historical view of the progress of the human mind: being a posthumous work of the late M. de Condorcet. Princeton University, 2008. Print.
Jefferson, Thomas. The Declaration of Independence. Scholastic Inc., 2002. Print.
Locke, John. Second treatise of government. Barnes & Noble Publishing, 2004. Print.
Marx, Karl, Friedrich Engels, and Gareth Stedman Jones. The Communist manifesto. Penguin Classics, 2002. Print.
Smith, Adam and Andrew Skinner. The Wealth of Nations. Penguin Classics, 2000. Print.