One Human Family - Karl Marx & a Cooperative Society - karl heinrich marx engels marxism marxists engels communism communist karl heinrich marx marxism marxists engels karl marx

Introduction

One Human Family cites, and recommends, the work of 19th-century philosopher Karl Heinrich Marx. In fact, the theory of a Cooperative Society, understood properly in its democracy and richness, has been influenced by many thinkers, philosophers, writers, leaders, and others, including Erich Fromm, Karl Marx, Daniel De Leon, Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, John Stuart Mill, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, Jesus, and others. Each fashioned a piece, that combined forms the puzzle.

Of course, of the personages listed, and others of significance not listed, thinkers and leaders such as Karl Marx, Daniel De Leon, and Erich Fromm merit special note when the specific or dedicated objective is the examination of capitalism, as this was their special purview.

Why does One Human Family regard the work of Karl Marx? Isn't his thought responsible, or partially responsible, for some of the great failed or even criminal regimes of history, at worst, or simply outdated, irrelevant, or inaccurate, at best? In fact, though common, these ideas do not represent a good grasp of political theory, or of history.

We recommend Marx because he acutely perceived, and analyzed, the great flaws and limitations of a money-and-profit based society--especially its complete lack of democracy in the area of economic activity, the economy. Were he alive, Karl Marx might ask you: do you have any meaningful control over your job? Over whether you even have a job? Over prices? Over the availability of goods and services...how about health care, for example?. Karl Marx had a vision of society based on the extension of democracy to every part of society, especially the economy. In other words, he advocated a society based on complete democracy.

Presently, we have partial democracy--we vote for representatives who directly manage most things in society...except economic matters. Yet, as we all know, economic matters have become the most important part of our lives! We presently have little, or no, control over those things that most strongly determine how we live, and what our lives are like--jobs, pay, hours, leave, working conditions, prices, quality. These things affect our lives directly, but they also affect us indirectly, because they largely determine what we think about, and what our mental state is like, even when we're not working. In regard to all these things, however, other forces--mostly corporations--call the shots now, not us. When someone or something controls you and your life, determining what you do, when you do it, and how you do it, that is called dictatorship, tyranny, or slavery.

Put another way, the kind of society Marx envisioned would maximize human freedom by making the economy subject to the democratic will of the people.

Additionally, Marx's conceptual tools, in other words, his methods and manner of viewing and analyzing a money-and-profit based society, are powerful, and important for anyone really trying to understand why things are the way they are, and why life is the way it is. Additionally, Marx, as well as other thinkers like Adam Smith, is also worthy of examination because his object of thorough-going analysis, study, and commentary is capitalism--the actual economic paradigm of our own age. Therefore, even if one ultimately disagrees with all or part of the thought of Marx (or Adam Smith, etc.), they will still be intellectually and morally stimulated and challenged. And that's a good thing.

Brotherhood of Man

And there's more. Perhaps Marx's most famous dictum (though he did not originate it) is:

"From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."

This historic and wonderful sentiment denotes a vision of human beings organizing themselves and living and working together in a uniquely beautiful, cooperative, and caring way. It really does suggest the establishment of a "brotherhood of man."

Through history there have been hundreds of philosophers who have thought, written, and spoken, from Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle, to Kant, Popper, and Leibniz. As important as the ideas of many of these individuals were, how many of them actually tried to marshall their ideas and intellect to create a universal brotherhood of humankind--the dream of history? Karl Marx is almost unique among them. His premise was that philosophy should not just analyze the world, but should change the world for the better. He wrote:

"Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it."

Karl Marx devoted his life to these beautiful ideas and ideals. Thus is he considered a messenger Of hope!

What about Cuba, China, and the former Soviet Union--weren't those nations based on the thought of Karl Marx?

No, they were not. Like Marx, these nations rejected--to one degree or another--a money-and-profit based system. And to justify this rejection they cited part of the philosophy of Marx. But that's where the similarity ends. The key difference is that while rejecting a money-and-profit based system and partially using the analysis of Marx to do it, the founders of these countries did not utilize all of the philosophy of Marx--and what they conveniently left out was the democracy part!

Because Marx's philosophy was based on a cooperative, or social, vision of humankind, Marx called it socialism. But his vision of a future society was democratic, in means and in ends--theirs was not! That is the key difference, which made all the difference in the world in how these nations rebuilt themselves and operated. In Cuba, one man is in control; in the Soviet Union, a tiny group ("the party") then later one man, was in control; in China, the party is in control. In none of these countries--ever--were the people in control! Thus, none of these countries has ever properly represented the idea and vision of Karl Marx.

Specifically, all the writing of Marx and many others, and the historical record, clearly and strongly illustrates that Karl Marx (unlike Castro, Lenin, Mao, etc.) believed the new kind of society he advocated must come about in a fully democratic manner, and must likewise be fully democratic in operation. Recall, for example, that the former Soviet Union was not generally referred to as Marxist, but Marxist-Leninist. This illustrates the influence of Vladimir Lenin on the way that nation was born and how it functioned: Lenin did not believe the new society could be brought about democratically, and should not operate democratically, and in fact in the Soviet Union, it was not, and did not, as we all know. Of course, a weak seed often produces a week plant, and this is what occurred in the Soviet Union. That country was founded on the weak seed of a non-democratic theory, so it led easily to the weak plant of non-democratic governance, and eventually to the even weaker plant of complete dictatorship.

There are many thinkers and writers who also base their work on the philosophy and analysis of Karl Marx, but who have not abandoned the democratic spirit of Marx, as the individuals cited above had. This democratic group includes, notably, the social philosopher Erich Fromm, cited throughout this web site.

In great contrast to the anti-democratic nations cited above, the idea of genuine democratic socialism is based, by definition, on democracy and peace. For example, such a society would never even come about unless a majority of people voted for it. Then, once it existed, it would operate in a fully democratic manner, as described above. According to Marx, the extension of democracy from the political sphere (which we have now), to the economic sphere (which we don't have now), is the very definition of socialism. Accordingly, any country with anything other than a completely democratic way of governing itself is simply not socialist, by definition. That's accurate political theory.

If you assert the idea of people in control of all aspects of their society, especially the economy, then you throw in the idea of Agape, the love ethic, to further enhance the moral basis of the new society and ensure its success, you will then have genuine democratic socialism, or what One Human Family calls The Cooperative Society. It's a way of organizing our society that has literally never been tried, much like what the brand new United States constitution represented in 1787 when it was written: a brand new way of doing things, that had never been tried!

The Founding Fathers saw their society in dramatic need of improvement, that they knew was simply beyond the capacity of the existing social order to bring; thus they knew revolution was necessary. Now, in our time, society is again in dramatic need of improvement, which is apparently beyond the capacity of our money-and-profit system to bring. Fortunately, we have the option of building a Cooperative Society, the most free, most morally and operationally advanced human society ever conceived, thereby eradicating most human suffering in the process--this is our message of hope! Humankind is now poised to take the greatest leap forward in social evolution it's ever known; the brass ring now hangs there tantalizingly--all we have to do is grab it!

All human output, whether art, music, athletics, science, or philosophy, is subject to error. Karl Marx studied, thought, and wrote at a different time in history, and a much earlier period of capitalism. He could not have known everything the future would bring; thus, as an imperfect human, like you and me, he committed errors of thought (his commitment to democracy was full and unflagging, and not in error). In the main, however, his analysis was accurate, illuminating, and seminal, and the methodology he left, his way of analyzing, deconstructing, and understanding capitalism, remains powerfully relevant today in making sense of the operation of the money-and-profit system, and its affects upon our lives.

One Human Family sees the thought of Marx as an important tool for understanding how capitalist society works. But we do not accept the views of Marx completely, or uncritically. For example, his conception of the "ruling" class vs. the "working" class, while an interesting, powerful, and largely accurate theoretical tool, can be divisive. We make an important distinction between over-reliance on such divisive conceptions, and the BOMA assertion and belief that all people are brothers and sisters, united in one human family.

Additionally, we regret Marx's use of the unfortunate phrase "dictatorship of the proletariat." However, we note that (1.) He was not referring to an actual dictatorship, and (2.) He used this phrase only once in all his many writings.

Without question, the philosophy advocated by Karl Marx was democratic in means, and in ends.

As mentioned above, the idea of a cooperative society is certainly not based solely on the ideas of Karl Marx. In fact, this web page notwithstanding, the thought of Karl Marx is ultimately not necessary at all to justify the creation of a cooperative society! There are many advocates of a cooperative society who do not root their belief in the thought and analytical method of Karl Marx. Christian Socialists, for example, analyze capitalism based on whether it is a fair and just system, in keeping with the Christian ethical system. And One Human Family, itself, bases its advocacy of a Cooperative system not principally on the thought of Karl Marx, but on that of Erich Fromm and others, including Marx, on the fact that the "love ethic" cannot flourish in a society based on profit and money, and on the obvious ways capitalism is hurting us and causing unnecessary human suffering.

Our focus, ultimately, should be on establishing a cooperative society, rather than a particular theory or thinker. Any of several theories will do, really, providing they are democratic and peaceful. Given that, our ultimate focus should be on establishing a society based on love, and where love can fully and freely blossom; a society where material want has been completely eradicated, and we can begin work meaningfully on our spiritual, emotional, moral, intellectual, social, and creative lives; where work reflects our true passions and interests instead of market demands; where the family structure can be restored, as families are no longer robbed for time and can breath easily again, and family members can become reacquainted with one another; where our constant, obsessive preoccupation with money and financial matters disappears, and we can simply enjoy being alive!

We do not subject Karl Marx to "hero worship," we do not accept his thought completely or uncritically, and we denounce those nations who have used perversions of his thought to justify their own crimes, repression, and lack of democracy. Insofar as the genuine thought of Marx, or any other philosopher, leader, or individual, assists in bringing about a beautiful cooperative system, as described above, it is useful. If not, it is not. Since the writing and thought of Karl Marx, when viewed objectively, is considered an important assist in this social project, his work, along with the work of others, is rightly valued and consulted by One Human Family.

An easy introduction to the thought of Marx, including his analysis of capitalism, can be found here:

Smith, David, and Evans, Phil. Marx's Kapital for Beginners. New York: Pantheon, 1982.

	"The state is an abstraction, only the people is a concrete fact." -- Karl Marx, 1843, Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right "...the existence of the state is inseparable from the existence of slavery." -- Karl Marx Some Thoughts About Karl Marx and a Cooperative Society
	Introduction One Human Family cites, and recommends, the work of 19th-century philosopher Karl Heinrich Marx. In fact, the theory of a Cooperative Society, understood properly in its democracy and richness, has been influenced by many thinkers, philosophers, writers, leaders, and others, including Erich Fromm, Karl Marx, Daniel De Leon, Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, John Stuart Mill, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, Jesus, and others. Each fashioned a piece, that combined forms the puzzle. Of course, of the personages listed, and others of significance not listed, thinkers and leaders such as Karl Marx, Daniel De Leon, and Erich Fromm merit special note when the specific or dedicated objective is the examination of capitalism, as this was their special purview. Why does One Human Family regard the work of Karl Marx? Isn't his thought responsible, or partially responsible, for some of the great failed or even criminal regimes of history, at worst, or simply outdated, irrelevant, or inaccurate, at best? In fact, though common, these ideas do not represent a good grasp of political theory, or of history. We recommend Marx because he acutely perceived, and analyzed, the great flaws and limitations of a money-and-profit based society--especially its complete lack of democracy in the area of economic activity, the economy. Were he alive, Karl Marx might ask you: do you have any meaningful control over your job? Over whether you even have a job? Over prices? Over the availability of goods and services...how about health care, for example?. Karl Marx had a vision of society based on the extension of democracy to every part of society, especially the economy. In other words, he advocated a society based on complete democracy. Presently, we have partial democracy--we vote for representatives who directly manage most things in society...except economic matters. Yet, as we all know, economic matters have become the most important part of our lives! We presently have little, or no, control over those things that most strongly determine how we live, and what our lives are like--jobs, pay, hours, leave, working conditions, prices, quality. These things affect our lives directly, but they also affect us indirectly, because they largely determine what we think about, and what our mental state is like, even when we're not working. In regard to all these things, however, other forces--mostly corporations--call the shots now, not us. When someone or something controls you and your life, determining what you do, when you do it, and how you do it, that is called dictatorship, tyranny, or slavery. Put another way, the kind of society Marx envisioned would maximize human freedom by making the economy subject to the democratic will of the people. Additionally, Marx's conceptual tools, in other words, his methods and manner of viewing and analyzing a money-and-profit based society, are powerful, and important for anyone really trying to understand why things are the way they are, and why life is the way it is. Additionally, Marx, as well as other thinkers like Adam Smith, is also worthy of examination because his object of thorough-going analysis, study, and commentary is capitalism--the actual economic paradigm of our own age. Therefore, even if one ultimately disagrees with all or part of the thought of Marx (or Adam Smith, etc.), they will still be intellectually and morally stimulated and challenged. And that's a good thing. Brotherhood of Man And there's more. Perhaps Marx's most famous dictum (though he did not originate it) is: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need." This historic and wonderful sentiment denotes a vision of human beings organizing themselves and living and working together in a uniquely beautiful, cooperative, and caring way. It really does suggest the establishment of a "brotherhood of man." Through history there have been hundreds of philosophers who have thought, written, and spoken, from Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle, to Kant, Popper, and Leibniz. As important as the ideas of many of these individuals were, how many of them actually tried to marshall their ideas and intellect to create a universal brotherhood of humankind--the dream of history? Karl Marx is almost unique among them. His premise was that philosophy should not just analyze the world, but should change the world for the better. He wrote: "Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it." -- XI Theses on Feuerbach Karl Marx devoted his life to these beautiful ideas and ideals. Thus is he considered a messenger Of hope! But What About... What about Cuba, China, and the former Soviet Union--weren't those nations based on the thought of Karl Marx? No, they were not. Like Marx, these nations rejected--to one degree or another--a money-and-profit based system. And to justify this rejection they cited part of the philosophy of Marx. But that's where the similarity ends. The key difference is that while rejecting a money-and-profit based system and partially using the analysis of Marx to do it, the founders of these countries did not utilize all of the philosophy of Marx--and what they conveniently left out was the democracy part! Because Marx's philosophy was based on a cooperative, or social, vision of humankind, Marx called it socialism. But his vision of a future society was democratic, in means and in ends--theirs was not! That is the key difference, which made all the difference in the world in how these nations rebuilt themselves and operated. In Cuba, one man is in control; in the Soviet Union, a tiny group ("the party") then later one man, was in control; in China, the party is in control. In none of these countries--ever--were the people in control! Thus, none of these countries has ever properly represented the idea and vision of Karl Marx. Specifically, all the writing of Marx and many others, and the historical record, clearly and strongly illustrates that Karl Marx (unlike Castro, Lenin, Mao, etc.) believed the new kind of society he advocated must come about in a fully democratic manner, and must likewise be fully democratic in operation. Recall, for example, that the former Soviet Union was not generally referred to as Marxist, but Marxist-Leninist. This illustrates the influence of Vladimir Lenin on the way that nation was born and how it functioned: Lenin did not believe the new society could be brought about democratically, and should not operate democratically, and in fact in the Soviet Union, it was not, and did not, as we all know. Of course, a weak seed often produces a week plant, and this is what occurred in the Soviet Union. That country was founded on the weak seed of a non-democratic theory, so it led easily to the weak plant of non-democratic governance, and eventually to the even weaker plant of complete dictatorship. There are many thinkers and writers who also base their work on the philosophy and analysis of Karl Marx, but who have not abandoned the democratic spirit of Marx, as the individuals cited above had. This democratic group includes, notably, the social philosopher Erich Fromm, cited throughout this web site. The Cooperative Society In great contrast to the anti-democratic nations cited above, the idea of genuine democratic socialism is based, by definition, on democracy and peace. For example, such a society would never even come about unless a majority of people voted for it. Then, once it existed, it would operate in a fully democratic manner, as described above. According to Marx, the extension of democracy from the political sphere (which we have now), to the economic sphere (which we don't have now), is the very definition of socialism. Accordingly, any country with anything other than a completely democratic way of governing itself is simply not socialist, by definition. That's accurate political theory. If you assert the idea of people in control of all aspects of their society, especially the economy, then you throw in the idea of Agape, the love ethic, to further enhance the moral basis of the new society and ensure its success, you will then have genuine democratic socialism, or what One Human Family calls The Cooperative Society. It's a way of organizing our society that has literally never been tried, much like what the brand new United States constitution represented in 1787 when it was written: a brand new way of doing things, that had never been tried! The Founding Fathers saw their society in dramatic need of improvement, that they knew was simply beyond the capacity of the existing social order to bring; thus they knew revolution was necessary. Now, in our time, society is again in dramatic need of improvement, which is apparently beyond the capacity of our money-and-profit system to bring. Fortunately, we have the option of building a Cooperative Society, the most free, most morally and operationally advanced human society ever conceived, thereby eradicating most human suffering in the process--this is our message of hope! Humankind is now poised to take the greatest leap forward in social evolution it's ever known; the brass ring now hangs there tantalizingly--all we have to do is grab it! Perfection is Elusive All human output, whether art, music, athletics, science, or philosophy, is subject to error. Karl Marx studied, thought, and wrote at a different time in history, and a much earlier period of capitalism. He could not have known everything the future would bring; thus, as an imperfect human, like you and me, he committed errors of thought (his commitment to democracy was full and unflagging, and not in error). In the main, however, his analysis was accurate, illuminating, and seminal, and the methodology he left, his way of analyzing, deconstructing, and understanding capitalism, remains powerfully relevant today in making sense of the operation of the money-and-profit system, and its affects upon our lives. Not So Fast One Human Family sees the thought of Marx as an important tool for understanding how capitalist society works. But we do not accept the views of Marx completely, or uncritically. For example, his conception of the "ruling" class vs. the "working" class, while an interesting, powerful, and largely accurate theoretical tool, can be divisive. We make an important distinction between over-reliance on such divisive conceptions, and the BOMA assertion and belief that all people are brothers and sisters, united in one human family. Additionally, we regret Marx's use of the unfortunate phrase "dictatorship of the proletariat." However, we note that (1.) He was not referring to an actual dictatorship, and (2.) He used this phrase only once in all his many writings. Without question, the philosophy advocated by Karl Marx was democratic in means, and in ends. Not Just Marx As mentioned above, the idea of a cooperative society is certainly not based solely on the ideas of Karl Marx. In fact, this web page notwithstanding, the thought of Karl Marx is ultimately not necessary at all to justify the creation of a cooperative society! There are many advocates of a cooperative society who do not root their belief in the thought and analytical method of Karl Marx. Christian Socialists, for example, analyze capitalism based on whether it is a fair and just system, in keeping with the Christian ethical system. And One Human Family, itself, bases its advocacy of a Cooperative system not principally on the thought of Karl Marx, but on that of Erich Fromm and others, including Marx, on the fact that the "love ethic" cannot flourish in a society based on profit and money, and on the obvious ways capitalism is hurting us and causing unnecessary human suffering. Our focus, ultimately, should be on establishing a cooperative society, rather than a particular theory or thinker. Any of several theories will do, really, providing they are democratic and peaceful. Given that, our ultimate focus should be on establishing a society based on love, and where love can fully and freely blossom; a society where material want has been completely eradicated, and we can begin work meaningfully on our spiritual, emotional, moral, intellectual, social, and creative lives; where work reflects our true passions and interests instead of market demands; where the family structure can be restored, as families are no longer robbed for time and can breath easily again, and family members can become reacquainted with one another; where our constant, obsessive preoccupation with money and financial matters disappears, and we can simply enjoy being alive! . . . We do not subject Karl Marx to "hero worship," we do not accept his thought completely or uncritically, and we denounce those nations who have used perversions of his thought to justify their own crimes, repression, and lack of democracy. Insofar as the genuine thought of Marx, or any other philosopher, leader, or individual, assists in bringing about a beautiful cooperative system, as described above, it is useful. If not, it is not. Since the writing and thought of Karl Marx, when viewed objectively, is considered an important assist in this social project, his work, along with the work of others, is rightly valued and consulted by One Human Family. An easy introduction to the thought of Marx, including his analysis of capitalism, can be found here: Smith, David, and Evans, Phil. Marx's Kapital for Beginners. New York: Pantheon, 1982.
	MARX QUOTATIONS "A censored press only serves to demoralize. The greatest of vices, hypocrisy, is inseparable from it. The government hears only its own voice, while all the time, deceiving itself, affecting to hear the voice of the people, while demanding also that they support the pretense." -- Karl Marx, Advocating a Free Press
	~ Advocating Economic & Personal Change ~ One Human Family