Proletariat and Class Society: Origins and Development
The Proletariat and the Industrial Revolution
The labor movement, born from the industrial revolution, brought forth a new social class: the proletariat. These were the workers in factories, contrasted with the bourgeoisie, the owners of the means of production. This led to the rise of ideologies advocating for the proletariat, such as Marxism and anarchism.
Ideologies of the Proletariat
Utopian Socialism
Utopian socialism, primarily developed by French and English philosophers, was based on idealistic assumptions with limited systematic and scientific elaboration.
- Saint-Simon: Advocated for solidarity between classes and a society based on work and activity, contrasting with a perceived lazy society.
- Fourier: Proposed industrial co-operatives where workers would both work and study. He was a significant figure in the education of the proletariat.
- Owen: Created workers’ co-operatives, including one in the United States.
Scientific Socialism
Created by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, particularly in The Communist Manifesto, this doctrine is rooted in materialism, specifically historical dialectical materialism, the theoretical framework of Marxism.
- Historical Materialism: Marx identified three key points:
- The class struggle as the engine of history.
- The exploitation of workers and their poor living conditions.
- The mode of production leading to a socialist dictatorship of the proletariat.
- Class Warfare: This evolved through stages: slave, feudal, and bourgeois.
- Social Change: The class struggle aimed to transform society, leading to the bourgeoisie’s decline and the establishment of a state controlled by the proletariat.
Anarchism
Anarchism, developed by the Russian thinker Mikhail Bakunin, emphasized individual freedom and development. It envisioned a classless, stateless society without religion or an army. Anarchists favored collective self-management. Lacking political viability, anarchism advocated for the collectivization of land. Anarchist syndicalism and political attacks were employed, finding support among the peasantry.
Labor Organization
Leaders and thinkers spread these ideologies, leading to the formation of unions, labor parties, and international organizations. Unions began as mutual aid societies to support workers during illness, death, and strikes. The strike became a key tactic.
In 1864, the International Workingmen’s Association (AIT), also known as the First International, was founded in London. Marx and Bakunin were prominent leaders. The First International dissolved in 1876 due to repression following the Paris Commune of 1871. The 1870s saw the rise of socialist and labor parties, which later formed the Second International, where debates arose between supporters of revolution and those advocating for gradual reforms.
Class Society in the Industrial Era
Class society, a characteristic of the industrial era, is defined by economic inequality.
- Wealthy Classes: Included the nobility, gentry, bankers, industrialists, and speculators.
- Middle Class: Grew with economic development, comprising teachers, lawyers, economists, engineers, architects, doctors, small traders, and artisans.
- Urban Working Class: Included employees in the tertiary sector, artisans, and industrial workers.
- Artisans: Were wholesalers.
- Industrial Workers: Employed in textile mills, with many workshops failing.
- Workers: Industrial laborers, or proletarians, operating machines that required little skill. This workforce included men, women, and children.
- Peasants: Formed the majority of the population, ranging from small landowners to laborers. The mechanization of agriculture increased unemployment.