The Marxian theory and the Enlightenment theory express different views on subjectivity. In this work attention is paid to the key differences between the Marxian theory and the enlightenment theory and how each of them influence the definition of a just society, the most widely practiced theory today is also considered.
The Marxian theory sees man’s status and happiness to be determined by alterations in man’s material possessions (Marx 11). It basically views man to be subject to his material possessions and to some extent not able to function independently in cases where the material possessions are lacking. It also postulates that for individuals to act reasonably and exercise their reason, economy has to determine their social and even political opinions in any given society (Resnock and Wolff 13). It has a concept of soft-determinism that they would be a diminished rate of crimes and arrests, as well as alterations in voting trends in our countries or even cultural happiness if a person’s economic status was altered.
The Marxian notion looks as man’s behavior in whatever setting, whether social groups or even social systems as a whole, to be controlled by factors outside of themselves which is only the economic position of the individual. Marx says that “Does it require deep intuition to comprehend that man’s ideas, views and conceptions, in one word, man’s consciousness, changes with every change in the conditions of his material existence, in his social relations and in his social life?” (Marx 19). Marx views every facet of man to be dependent on his material possessions.
Enlightenment refers to man’s exposure or emergence from what is referred to as nonage, which refers to the inability of a person to act independently without another person’s input (Kant 1). Before the emergence of the enlightenment, man was viewed as a natural being that has no free will, and in and by himself is incapable of making decisions and doing certain roles. He viewed as an immortal soul and had a given specific degree of reason and intelligence. Enlightenment notion believes that every person needs freedom in order to do anything. Performance and productivity is based on freedom, and unless this is provided for individuals cannot perform certain tasks. There are several restrictions to people everywhere, and citizens of any given country are not able to act freely and do certain things that they may see as appropriate and reasonable. Enlightenment looks at freedom as a right to every person and that productivity will be influenced greatly by freedom.
The first clear difference that stands out between the Marxian and the Enlightenment notions on subjectivity is the factors that control an individual’s action. The Marxian notion postulates that an individual can only act accordingly when he has adequate material possessions (Resnock and Wolff 33). To a large extent a person’s behavior is tightly tied to his material possessions and the two are inseparable. The enlightenment theory emerged as a result of the theory of social development and progress (Kant 2). The main goal was recovery from the “dark ages” after the French revolution and the rediscovery of ancient philosophy. Its notion on subjectivity looks at an individual’s actions and choices to be independent of other factors. An individual is able to make his or her own decisions and act wisely without being influenced by other people or things.
The Marxian notion asserts that every individual occupies a certain position in the society that is determined by the individual’s role in production (Resnock and Wolff 33). Country’s economic production defines individuals in various strata and this determines the class of every individual. In this, the individual’s social status is explained based only on their material possessions. In the enlightenment theory, the individual’s natural and social positions are explainable and this does not depend on other factors (Kant 2).
The enlightenment theory believes that there are alterations in human history; nothing remains the same. There are also alterations in mental, social, philosophical states and even material changes (Kant 6). All these changes are believed to be due to changes in human consciousness. The Marxian notion looks at all changes in the society, whether social, cultural or political to be influenced by the economic productivity of the given society (Marx 21). All the changes can be explained only with a link on the economic status of the society.
The Marxian and the enlightenment notions on subjectivity lead to completely different views of a just society. As the Marxian notion considers material possessions as the major determinant of worth in the society, the enlightenment notion considers every individual to be vitally important and that each should exercise their consciousness and reason wisely to influence the society’s development (Kant 3). The enlightenment notion thus provides a view of a more just and liberal society where individuals are allowed to exercise and act within the dictates of their conscience as long as they are constitutional and do not infringe on the rights of other people. It points out that being a citizen in a just society goes beyond caring for oneself to also being mindful of the welfare of the other citizens and doing all that is possible in one’s position to contribute to the society’s growth. A citizen in a just society upholds morality and contributes towards the country’s economic development.
In situations where a society’s political system has achieved a full degree of progress in terms of its economic development, man is viewed to live a double life; one is communal and the other is private and this happens both in his consciousness and in reality according to Marx (Resnock and Wolff 97). He states that a single individual can assume the position of a citizen and influence the society in whichever line exercising control and authority in certain lines. The enlightenment notion has a view of organizational citizenship where every person in the society plays an important role in the society and has a definite set of rights that should not be infringed. They are however guided by a given set code of conduct even in exercising their freedom (Kant 3).
In the society today, knowing that different societies support different forms, the enlightenment notion on subjectivity is the most common and adopted. In the United States for example, the theory of enlightenment that promotes liberty, equality and justice had a great influence in the country’s constitution. This happened greatly after the American Revolution when many of the central ideas that formed the basis of the enlightenment theory were considered monumental in the formation of the state and the establishment of its constitution that governs the US up to date (Smith). Other countries have followed this and the enlightenment notion remains the most highly regarded in most countries as far as matters of subjectivity are concerned.
Works cited
Caudwell, Christopher. Studies in a Dying Culture. London: Bodley Head, 1938. Westport, CO: Greenwood Press, 1973. Print.
Kant, Immanuel. What is Enlightenment? Fairleigh Dickinson University, Vancouver, 2013. Print
Marx, Karl & Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. Trans. Samuel Moore. Vancouver: Fairleigh Dickinson University, 2013.
Marx, Karl. “‘Preface’ to A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy.” Cultural Theory: An Anthology. Eds. Imre Szeman & Timothy Kaposy. London: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011. 106-108. Print.
Resnock S.A., Wolff R.D.. New Departures in Marxian Theory. Routledge, Taylor and Francis group, London and Newyork, 2013. Print
Smith, Nicole. The Influence of the Enlightenment on the Formation of the United States. December, 2011. Print.
