Bourgeois and Proletarians
History102
In history, societies have existed where people have been grouped into classes such as the rich and the poor. Social rank is an essential part that is used as a basis for classifying people into different groups. Industrialization has contributed to the strong separation of individuals into different classes. The bourgeois form the middle class the proletariats form the working class. The fascinating relationship that exists between these two social groups is the level of exploitation. Because of the exploitation, antagonism is bound to arise and this results to changes in the social classes of the bourgeois and the proletariats.
The bourgeoisie is a social rank in the society that comprises the middle class. The bourgeoisie represent a more developed form of a feudal society that has changed the workings in a society. For instance, in a modern bourgeoisie society the forms of oppression, classes in the society and struggles are more evolved than that which was experienced by societies in the Middle Ages. According to Marx, the increase in industrialization has enhanced the growth of a bourgeoisie society. The bourgeoisie has increased industrialization, enhanced commerce, extended railways in an attempt to increase capital. The development of new markets has made the bourgeoisie develop a form of control in terms of production and exchange. The bourgeoisie is a money-oriented society that flourishes on the exploitation of others. Marx notes, “The bourgeoisie has converted the physician, the priest, the lawyer, the poet, the man of science, into its paid laborers”.
It is because of the bourgeoisie that there is increased civilization. Marx notes, “It has accomplished wonders far surpassing pyramids, Roman Aqueducts and Gothic Cathedrals; it has conducted expeditions that put in the shade all former Exoduses of nations and crusades”. Continuous change is a characteristic of the bourgeoisie. They influence and spearhead the instruments of production. Markets have expanded to include the whole globe, and this makes the bourgeoisie exist in almost every part of the world. Consequently, this expansion of markets has made the bourgeoisie develop urban towns and cities and this has contributed to changing of rural life into urban life. The bourgeoisie has developed a more concentrated and centralized system of production, “.agglomerated population, centralized the means of production and concentrated property in a few hands”.
The proletarians represent the modern working class. These are depicted as the people who are laborers. Marx notes, the proletarians are “a class of laborers who live only so long as they find work, and who find work only so long as their labor increases capital”. The use of machinery has made it worse for the proletarian since the workload has been increased without a subsequent increase in wages. The proletarian becomes a slave to the bourgeois class. As Marx notes, “in the same proportion the burden of toil also increases, whether by prolongation of the working hours, by the increase of the work exacted in a given time or by increases of speed of machinery”. The proletarian does all the work for the bourgeoisie forming a form of a capitalist society.
Industries set up by the bourgeoisie use the proletarians as laborers to work their machines. The bourgeoisie, who own the industries, exploit the proletarians with additional work and less pay. Consequently, the little wages the proletarian receives is then demanded by the other sections of the bourgeoisie like the shopkeeper, property owner and the pawnbroker. Additionally, the bourgeoisie makes use of the proletarians to realize their political interests. This occurs when the bourgeoisie do not agree among in their circles. The bourgeoisie influences the proletarian through political and general education to fight the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie makes use of the proletarians to achieve their ends without caring for the needs of the proletarians. However, such a move leads to enlightenment and progress of the proletarian.
Antagonism between these two groups causes significant changes. A portion of the proletarian moves into the revolutionary class owing to enlightenment and knowledge they have received from the bourgeoisie. The lower middle class, for example, the shopkeeper and the artisan fight for their position with the bourgeoisie to remain a part of the middle class. Thus, the upper portion of the society continues to oppress those lower classes and thus continues the cycle of the bourgeoisie exploiting the proletarians.
In conclusion, a capitalist society develops from the industrialization and moneymaking perception of individuals who form the middle class. Consequently, for the middle class to achieve their goals, they ensure they exploit and use the working class who do anything to achieve their wages. The more they work the less they are paid. The end of the feudal society is attributed to the rise of the middle class society, which changes the systems of productions and development. The extreme developments and changes in the market and commerce world can be attributed to the influences the bourgeois have in the society.
Bibliography
Marx and Engels. "Communist Manifesto (Chapter 1)." Marxists Internet Archive.
http://marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ch01.htm#007 (accessed February 22, 2013).
