One of the main reasons why proletarians were willing to risk their lives while going against their leaders relates to how most of them realized that they had very little to lose if they would not succeed, taking into account that they lived most of their lives being heartlessly exploited. Marxism does not necessarily involve violence as a means to reform, as, according to the ideology, change can also happen peacefully in countries that lived by democratic principles (Morgan 184).
Classless society
While Marxism stands as a harsh denunciation of bourgeoisie, it is also meant to make society a free community where individuals are actually rewarded accordingly for their efforts rather than to be exploited as tools. By turning society in a place that promoted equality between individuals with no regard to their background Marxism wanted to improve conditions in the world. By having access to "political knowledge and political training" (Lenin 49), the working class would no longer have to live in ignorance. These people would virtually be able to put across thinking previously associated with a select group of leaders and would thus become less supportive concerning the idea of class differentiation.
In order for proletarians to be interested in reform it would be important for them to first be educated concerning the interrelations between classes. Moreover, education concerning a classless society must be provided to all classes, as all of the social order needs to understand the importance of employing a different attitude regarding social status (Lenin 50). Marxism thus does not only focus on having the working class gain a better understanding of politics and of the role they play in a capitalist community, as it also promotes the idea that the upper class needs to be educated about the wrongness of its actions. "We deliberately select this blunt formula, we deliberately express ourselves in this sharply simplified manner, not because we desire to indulge in paradoxes, but in order to "impel" the Economists to a realization of their tasks which they unpardonably ignore" (Lenin 50). It is intriguing that Marxists acknowledged the important role that the bourgeoisie...
While a revolution was inevitable, it was also important for the masses to concentrate on dealing as little damage as possible in their attempt to bring reform. Destruction was not their goal: they needed to remove class differentiation while creating a better world where conflicts would occur less frequently and where all members of society would be satisfied with their position. This could only happen if proletarians focused on making sure that education was provided to all social classes regardless of their background.
Marxism better than Liberalism in contemporary Russia Many tend to believe that the collapse of the Soviet Union marked the end of an era dominated by Marxism in Russia. However, it gradually became clear that Marxism was not gone and that Russians simply changed their attitudes toward the idea of a Soviet Union. To a certain degree, one might actually be inclined to believe that Marxism was responsible for the collapse of the Union. The fact that the ideology was already present in the country enabled individuals involved in reform to change things in the country through peaceful means rather than through a revolution.
Conclusion
Marxism continues to be an important ideology in the present and by looking at its values in theory, one is likely to agree that it puts across somewhat moral principles. However, the fact that many individuals supporting the concept have used extreme violence with the purpose to put across their beliefs influenced people across the world to express hesitance about its effectiveness. All things considered, it would be absurd to claim that a perfect political ideology exists and, similar to other such ideologies, Marxism attempts to make the world into a better place while focusing on the well-being of the masses.
Works cited:
Conteh-Morgan, "Collective Political Violence: An Introduction to the Theories and Cases of Violent Conflicts," (Routledge, New York, 2004)
Lenin, "What is to be done"
"Alexander II to the February Revolution"
