Industrial Revolution and Left-Wing Ideologies
What is the Industrial Revolution?
It is a social, economic, political, and technological process that emerged in Britain around 1760. From Britain, it spread to Europe, the USA, and Japan in the 19th century. The Industrial Revolution has the following characteristics:
- It is the origin of capitalism: an economic system based on the free and absolute property of factories, businesses, and capital.
- It means the predominance of industry and services over agriculture.
- It is the triumph of machines, factories, and nonrenewable energy.
- Large-scale production and the consumer society appeared.
- It is the origin of the class society, in which the importance of people is marked by their wealth, not by their birth.
- It is the victory of the city over the countryside.
Left-Wing Ideologies
The struggle of the working class drove the emergence of new ideologies that promoted their interests and alternatives to capitalism and the class-based society. The most important left-wing ideologies were Marxism (or Socialism) and Anarchism.
Marxism
It was developed in 1848 by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. These two German philosophers and politicians wrote a book called The Communist Manifesto, where they explained the features of this new ideology:
- Class struggle: They believed that History is based on class struggle between owners and dispossessed people. In Antiquity, this struggle was between slaves and their holders; in the Middle Ages, it was between lords and peasants; and in the 19th century, it was between the wealthy bourgeoisie and the working class. All of History is a struggle between rich and poor people.
- The dictatorship of the proletariat: Marx and Engels said the proletariat must organize itself, stage a coup, and take political power. Once in power, the working class should establish a temporary dictatorship to control the economy and redistribute wealth equally among all members of society. Firstly, lands and factories would be ruled by this dictatorship, and then by the workers.
- Communism: Social classes would disappear because everyone would be equal (no bourgeoisie, no nobles, no businessmen, no poor people). The Communist society would not have any religion.
Anarchism
The main advocate of this ideology was a Russian called Mikhail Bakunin. He and the Anarchists rejected all kinds of government and laws because they prevent people from being free. Bakunin also refused the dictatorship of the proletariat. Anarchism seeks an ideal society based on these features:
- Individual freedom: People had to fight against any authority or institution because they limit human freedom. Their aim is to destroy the states by violent measures. Bakunin also defends the suppression of any religion.
- Direct action: To get complete freedom, people have to demolish the states and institutions by their own actions, not by political parties or elections. Some Anarchists supported terrorism and violent attacks. In fact, they murdered many politicians across Europe, even Spain.
- Communes: Once the states were eliminated, society would be reorganized into small groups called communes, in which all decisions would be taken by popular assemblies, because they do not want any kind of government or power. Lands and factories would be the property of everyone.