Carl Marx’s ideology

Carl Marx’s ideology

Carl Marx’s ideology that capitalism is the exploitation of the working class has evoked debate from those supporting him and those against his school of thought. Carl Marx believed that human history is filled with many examples of cases where the elite or the rich eventually clashed with the poor or the oppressed. He argued that socialism was the answer to inequality and unfairness in society, where the workers will be leaders, and society will have classifications. Prominent scholars have picked up from where Carl Marx left off and have expounded further his ideas some pro while others were anti-Marxist. Ellen Schrecker and Sidney Hooks are some of the few prominent scholars that have studied Carl Marx’s theories and have presented arguments that hold water in support or against his ideas. Both believed that Marxist ideology was right, but was high jacked by few individuals on both sides.

Ellen Schrecker’s school of thought.

Ellen Schrecker was one of the few scholars that have spoken against the injustices that occurred during the McCarthyism era. According to her, the McCarthyism era was one of the darkest times in American when civil rights were broken, especially in schools. Furthermore, the American used its security apparatus such as the FBI, headed by J. Edgar Hoover, to attack fellow Americans due to their ideology. Even though she was not in support of communism, Ellen Schrecker found some of the communist ideology appealing and working. A good case in how the communist party encouraged the growth of workers unions and fought for equality among workers. An act that was difficult for the current government to do. However, the secretive nature and lack of tolerance to opposing opinions. She added that the communist party was an extension of the Kremlin, and its supporters were blindly following a party while ignoring its evils. 

Sidney Hook’s school of thought.

Sidney Hook believed in the socialist ideology from a young age and even one of the first supporters of the American Communist Party. His knowledge of the Marxist ideologies won him the hearts of many who supported communism since he spoke of communism with much vigor than most scholars that believed in Marxist ideologies. He believed that the Marxist doctrine was all about the social revolution and unification of various classes of society. However, he argued that Carl Marx’s predecessors misinterpreted the Marxist ideology and its practices. Sidney Hook believed that for socialism to be successful and in line with Marxist ideology, power had to be intertwined with the struggles of the working class. However, this was not the case with those who lead the communist party. Leaders of the communist party wrongfully interpreted Marxist ideologies for their benefit and not of the people.

Similarities in their argument.

Even though Sidney Hook supported Marxist ideas, but over time, his allegiance to the cause changed after leaders of the communist party started to misinterpret the Marxist ideologies. According to Sidney Hook, Marxism was a revolutionary ideology that was meant to cure the current ills of society. However, Communist party leaders were rarely honest and had dictatorial tendencies. Furthermore, the American communist party was one with the kremlin. As a result, leaders of the communist party were misguiding their followers with false or altered theories of communism, including subverting democracy. For him, fighting communism was like a mission since most of the current communist party leaders were abusing communistic policies. This was visible when he supported the firing or even arrest of teachers who believed in communism. This put him at loggerheads with those who were in support of or against Communism.

Just like Sidney Hook, Ellen Schrecker, too, was in support of Marxist ideas but not entirely. She is intrigued by how the American Communist Party was able to rally behind labor Unions and labor rights. However, facts on the ground on how the Communist party operates were opposite to the Marxist ideology. She states that the Communist party was pro kremlin, secretive and did not present credible membership figures. Furthermore, Communist party members were fully committed to the communism cause blindly ignoring the negative aspect, which made the Communist party look like a cult.

Contrasts between their Arguments.

Sidney Hook had the first-hand experience with Marxist ideologies, which included participating in the communist party. With this first-hand experience, Sidney Hook was able to identify technical problems that were facing the communist party, such as its rigidity and bureaucracy of the communist system. As a result, he fought against the communist system since he understood the complications of the communist system. He used every tactic, including preventing teachers who supported communism from teaching in American schools. He also endorsed FBI actions and propaganda against communism and its supporters in America. According to him, current communist party leaders wanted the status quo to remain. As a result, they would not wish to revolutionary changes that would make everyone equal.

Even though Ellen Schrecker did not support communism, she, however, was against how the anti-communism campaign was conducted in America. According to her, unnecessary and dictatorial means were used to counter communism. She uses an example of J. Edgar Hoover, who was then the director of the FBI. While investigating the impact of McCarthyism on the education sector, Ellen Schrecker stated that the FBI considered communism a threat and had already set up measures to counter it. Measures such as firing professors who were pro-communism, demonizing communist member, and banning the teaching of communism in schools. Opinions on communism were left to anti-communism scholars who spread false propaganda on communism.

In conclusion.

Both Ellen Schrecker and Sidney Hook did support communism due to its tendency to empower the oppressed who, in this case, were workers. However, factors such as the rigidity of communistic systems and directorial tendencies of leaders of Communistic parties and economies. They only differed on ways communistic ideas could be countered. While Sidney Hook believed that all available means should be used including firing people and using false information in their propaganda against communism.  Ellen Schrecker was against these means, which she considered as a violation of the basic right of Americans to archive this.