Preview

Karl Marx and Adam Smith: Division of Labour

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1116 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Karl Marx and Adam Smith: Division of Labour
Karl Marx and Adam Smith: Division of Labour A nation is just a vast establishment, where the labour of each, however diverse in character, adds to the wealth of all. Two brilliant people of their time are both respected in their views for creating a near perfect society where everyone is happy. Adam Smith, a respected Scottish political economist philosopher born in 1723, had the goal of perfect liberty for all individuals through the capitalistic approach. While Karl Marx, born in 1818, believed in individual freedom for society and intellectually criticized capitalism giving reasons as to why it was irrational and why it would fail. Adam Smith’s very first sentence claims that, "The greatest improvement in the productive powers of labour, and the greater part of the skill, dexterity, and judgement with which it is anywhere directed or applied, seem to have been the effects of the division of labour."[i] Smith gives priority to the division of labour among workers as an enormous insight. But we differ and agree with his claim, followed by Karl Marx, that the degree of specialization is limited mainly by the extent of economic interest of capita to take advantage of or exploit workers, nothing could persuade capitalists to change their ways. The comparison between Karl Marx and Adam Smith is interesting because it shows how specialization and the division of labour differ and compare and also demonstrates the amount and extent of knowledge in modern day industrialism. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast these political philosophers’ economic theories and find the point at which their ideologies differentiated. The view of Adam Smith and Karl Marx are complex. Through their work society has opened gateway of understanding with the help of more modern intellects to further our society knowledge on building a society around happiness. People work cooperatively, but they have set tasks, each carrying out a one or limited number of


Bibliography: ----------------------- [i] Brophy, James M., Perspectives from the past : primary sources in Western civilizations; Karl Marx, “Estranged Labor”, pg. 251-231 [ii] Brophy, James M., Perspectives from the past : primary sources in Western civilizations; Karl Marx, “Estranged Labor”, pg. 251-231 [iii] Brophy, James M., Perspectives from the past : primary sources in Western civilizations; Adam Smith, “Wealth of nations”, pg. 225-231
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Gke1 Task 4 Analysis
    • 700 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Gke1 Task 4 Analysis

    Adam Smith, in his book The Wealth of Nations, wrote about the idea that production of wealth would increase if people pursued their self-interest in 1776, just before the Industrial Revolution took off. He went on to describe the division of labor, that is breaking the manufacturing of a product into several easier tasks to be done by separate people, commonly called an assembly line. The Industrial Revolution brought to life Smith 's ideas of division of labor and economic individualism with unrestrained competition, essentially birthing capitalism…

    • 700 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    In What Way Do Class and Gender Interact to Generate Economic Inequality in Market Societies?
    • 1881 Words
    • 8 Pages

    In What Way Do Class and Gender Interact to Generate Economic Inequality in Market Societies?

    Karl Marx’ theory of the relations of production can be used as an important platform in locating the origins of class and gender inequity to the early stages of capitalism. In his theory ‘the relations of production’ he explained that private ownership of…

    • 1881 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Smith vs. Marx - a Comparison Essay Example
    • 1263 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Smith vs. Marx - a Comparison Essay Example

    Modern economic society can be described as a combination of certain points from several theories combined into one. Changing dynamics and economic needs of nations has spawned a development of various, and contrasting, economic systems throughout the world. Perhaps the two most contrasting philosophies seen in existence today are that of capitalism and communism. The two philosophers most notably recognized for their views on these economic systems are Adam Smith and Karl Marx. This paper will identify several fundamental aspects of economic philosophy as described by Smith and Marx, and will compare and contrast the views of these philosophers in relation to current global economic systems.…

    • 1263 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did Adam Smith Affect Marx's Work
    • 726 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Did Adam Smith Affect Marx's Work

    Early in Marx’s career and writings he is dominated by a heavy Hegelian influence, particularly by the Young Hegelians who were radical liberals. In particular Ludwig Feuerbach had a profound effect on Marx’s early works. In contrast Adam Smith’s early life and works were strongly influenced by the literati who were a tight, close-knit group that met at pubs and social clubs to discuss, critique and debate each other’s work. While they both had early influences that would later drastically affect their views and works, Adam Smith was clearly the most influential of the two based on the changes to the Western world and culture. When you look at the political effects of both Smith and Marx’s philosophies you see a world dominated by a capitalist economy and society.…

    • 726 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Adam Smith and Karl Marx Difference essay
    • 447 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Adam Smith and Karl Marx Difference essay

    They were both known for their distinct theoretical contributions. Adam Smith proposed that there should be a free market where the producers are free to produce as much as they want and charge buyers the prices that they want. He thought that this would result in the most efficient and desirable economic outcome for consumers and producers. This meant that the consumers would only pay as much or less than they would value the benefit from the good, and the producer would only sell for as much as or higher than they would have spent on making the product. The market would always be equilibrium. There would only be a limited role for the government in the economic system. Karl Marx disagreed and thought that workers would have an advantage because they are already rich and there would be a disadvantage to the poor. The rich would only get richer and the poor would only get poorer. He came out with a theory called the labor theory of value. The claims that the value of a good or service is directly connected to the amount of labor required for its production. Marx thought that the two classes in society, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, will remain stuck in their respective classes because of the very nature of capitalism. The wealthy bourgeoisie owns the factories and also dominates the media, universities, government, bureaucracy, and hence. Their position on the social status is unchangeable. The poor proletariat are only able to work hard. Marx thought that to fix this problem; the poor would have to revolt and create a new social order where there would be no distinction between segments of society. Adam Smith thought that capitalism was the most ideal economic system. Adam also opposed the idea of revolution to restore justice for the masses because he valued order and stability over relief and oppression. Marx thought that capitalism would lead to instability and injustice in a society. Marx…

    • 447 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Interracial Romantic Relationships
    • 7141 Words
    • 29 Pages

    Interracial Romantic Relationships

    Mezhuev, V. M. (2012). The Idea of World History in the Doctrine of Karl Marx. Russian Studies In Philosophy, 51(2), 9-43.…

    • 7141 Words
    • 29 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Communist Manifesto By Karl Marx And Frederick Engles
    • 297 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Communist Manifesto By Karl Marx And Frederick Engles

    In aversion to the issues of capitalism concerning wage labor and abuse of the laborer by the employer, Karl Marx and Frederick Engles saw the ills of society in the convention of private property. In his own words, Marx said that communism could be summed up in one sentence, “abolition of private property” (The Communist Manifesto, 23). Marx saw private property in the industrial age as the “antagonism of capital and wage labor,” (The Communist Manifesto, 23). The positive results of industry only allowed the bourgeois to obtain more capital and hire more labor. Capital, therefore, is for the bourgeois a means to accumulate labor for the individual.…

    • 297 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Karl Marx: Saving The Working Man
    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Karl Marx: Saving The Working Man

    Karl Marx’s philosophy has been the subject of so much judgement and Scrutiny on if his beliefs will truly save the working man. The bourgeois interlocutor believe Marx’s belief would be more detrimental to the people as a whole. They believe that by wishing to abolish private property, communism will become a danger to freedom and eventual end up destroying the very base of all personal freedom, activity, and independence. Marx responds to these comments by stating that wage labor does not create any property when considering the laborers affairs. It only creates capital, a property which works only to increase the social injustice of the worker. This property called capital, is based on class antagonism. Having linked private property…

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Role Of Alienation In 'Confederate Of Dunces'
    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Role Of Alienation In 'Confederate Of Dunces'

    (Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844) Marx states the worker is alienated from the product of his work. He makes it for his employer,…

    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Adam Smith and Karl Marx Essay
    • 2054 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Adam Smith and Karl Marx Essay

    Modern political economic theory and philosophy can be greatly attributed to the works of two men who seemingly held polar opposite views on the subject. Adam Smith, a Scottish philosopher, published his most well known work An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations in 1776 and is most often associated with the ideas and principles of the political economic system known as Capitalism. At the other end of the spectrum is Karl Marx; the German philosopher most often associated with Communism and the author (or co-author) of The Communist Manifesto. This paper seeks to discuss the core differences in their respective political economic philosophies with regards to what economic value is and what the role of government should be in their versions of political economy. This will conclude with the argument that while Smith's work had laid the foundation for modern economic philosophy, it was Marx who would ultimately leave the most significant impression upon the world with his revolutionary ideas.…

    • 2054 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Is Marxism Anti Democratic
    • 1582 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Is Marxism Anti Democratic

    Draper,H: 1978 Karl Marx 's theory of revolution Vol. 2 The politics of social classes New York Monthly Review Press…

    • 1582 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Karl Marx's Estranged Labor
    • 1845 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Karl Marx's Estranged Labor

    because he is not the recipient of the product he creates. As a result labor is…

    • 1845 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Adam Smith Division Of Labor
    • 2365 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Adam Smith Division Of Labor

    Throughout “Wealth of Nations,” an ongoing theme portrayed is economic growth. “The annual labour of every nation is the fund which originally supplies it with all the necessaries and conveniences of life which it annually consumes, and which consist always either in the imme­diate produce of that labour or in what is purchased with that produce from other nations.” (Smith,WN,159) For Smith, this quote backs up his idea of economic growth and that it stems from the division of labor, because in his opinion, labor is the true source of wealth. So what the dividing of the labor process does is that it takes a long process, and breaks the process down into sub-processes. In other words, the project is becoming specialized in the sense that there would be a worker that is assigned to each specific sub-process, which suits him best based on his skill set. Since each worker or workers were assigned to small subsets of the project, they were supposed to become an expert in that said area of the work, which would lead to an increase in efficiency. This idea was thought to bring about a productive environment, which would lead to the overall production of whatever the factory or company was making. In turn from this mass production of tangible objects, the labor will create a surplus that can then be reinvested into production by increasing the amount of technical and mechanical support that allows these companies to continue to grow. This in turn sets the stage for the economic growth that is talked about throughout the book. (Heilbroner,Malone,WN,153) Although I gave you a short synopsis of what the division of labor actually has done in the eyes of Smith, I will talk about it more in depth with different examples that smith gave us to show how remarkable this idea actually is. I will also talk about some of the downside that this may bring, but what I have realized is that the positives far outweigh the negatives.…

    • 2365 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Tracing Theoretical Approaches to Crime and Social Control: from Functionalism to Postmodernism
    • 16552 Words
    • 67 Pages

    Tracing Theoretical Approaches to Crime and Social Control: from Functionalism to Postmodernism

    into Karl Marx and the capitalistic social order; thank you to my second thesis supervisor,…

    • 16552 Words
    • 67 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Alienated Labor by Karl Marx
    • 586 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Alienated Labor by Karl Marx

    Few philosophers viscerally strike a chord with their readers, regardless of the subject in question. Yet there is something within Marx's essay, Alienated Labor, that is able to communicate directly to working people laboring even over one-hundred and fifty years subsequent to its publication. There is good reason for this: Marx elucidated a theory of labor in which workers become subservient to the objects they produce, a theory where people are not exalted by their labor, but devalued by it. Marx's concept of alienated labor describes the internal conflict and disparity of workers, be they from the 19th or 21st century, when their existence is contingent upon fulfilling the desires and wants of another and neglecting their own.…

    • 586 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More