According to Benjamin Franklin, being critical is easier than being correct. In his Communist Manifesto, Marx uses sarcasm to criticize the Bourgeois and argue that their claims of being right are actually wrong. While Marx's assertions in the Manifesto may not be completely accurate, he employs persuasive techniques to convince people of his viewpoint. This demonstrates the persuasive power of ethos.
The Communist Manifesto states that the Proletarian and Communist view the Bourgeois principle of free trade and private property ownership as destructive to society. What makes this document interesting is that it does not critique the Bourgeois with the aim of persuading them to join Communism, but rather seeks to attract potential members.
Marx utilizes various literary devices, such as questioning the bourgeoisie and responding to Communist criticism with sarcasm, to
...foster a sense of unity among the working class. Through these methods, Marx aims to persuade proletarians that they play a vital role in a larger revolutionary movement. One technique he employs is logos, using widely known information. Specifically, Marx disagrees with private property ownership, arguing that it stems from the conflict between capital and wage labor. While the bourgeoisie believe property is essential for personal freedom and independence, Marx asserts that workers labor not for themselves but for the benefit of the bourgeois. His goal is to eliminate the oppressive nature of this system where laborers exist solely to increase capital and are only allowed to live as much as it satisfies the ruling class. According to Marx, it is logical for workers to engage in work that serves a purpose beyond mere labor. Thus, he contends that by working for the bourgeoisie, laborers
have forfeited their primary reason for existence – work itself. He further argues that in Bourgeois society, Proletarians are systematically exploited to generate capital exclusively for bourgeois property and subsequently become dispensable once their purpose is fulfilled.
In the Communist society, Marx argues that the purpose of accumulated labor is to improve the lives of the workers. By using concepts that are already familiar to the readers, Marx convinces them that the function of bourgeois society is deceptive. In addition to logical reasoning, Marx cleverly poses questions to make the audience contemplate whether the present bourgeois society is a source of destruction or benefit for them. One such question he asks is whether wage-labor creates any property for the laborer. This prompts the audience to critically think about a rarely considered matter.
Not only does this literary device make the audience reason, but even before the audience can respond, Marx criticizes the Bourgeois and provides his own answer. He argues that the Bourgeois form of property creates capital, which exploits wage-labour and can only grow by generating new sources of wage-labour for exploitation. Marx uses a similar approach when criticizing the Bourgeois form of family and education. He begins by asking the audience about the foundation of the present bourgeois family, and quickly answers that it is based on capital and private gain. He asserts that this type of family only exists among the bourgeoisie in its fully developed form. This technique effectively convinces the audience that Marx is likely correct in his assertions about the Bourgeois and they readily agree with his statements.
Marx confidently counters the criticism from the Bourgeois by sarcastically expressing his resilience against
their denigration. He dismisses their claims about the importance of family and education in light of the destructive effects of Modern Industry on proletarians, as it ruptures their family bonds and reduces their children to mere commodities and tools of labor.
Marx sarcastically criticizes the bourgeoisie who protest against communism by exclaiming that it would result in a commune of women. He mocks their belief that women are merely tools of production, and suggests that if the means of production are to be shared, then women would also be subjected to the same fate. Marx argues that the bourgeoisie proudly promote their concept of superior education for children and the importance of the parent-child relationship, but in reality, they are destroying this bond. He asserts that parents exploit their children and treat them as instruments for acquiring wealth, thus dismantling the foundation of family structure. Marx firmly opposes the inclusion of education within society and advocates against having children and spouses working for the benefit of the bourgeoisie and its members.
Marx's remarks on the Bourgeois may be seen as harsh, but he uses certain techniques to unite potential individuals, particularly Proletarians, and persuade them that he has the authority and ability to declare Communism as a superior society. The harsh tone of his statements about Communism and the Bourgeois grants him an advantage. By repeatedly questioning the state of the Bourgeois, he motivates the audience, particularly the working class members, to align themselves with the Communist cause.
Using sarcasm, the author convinces the Proletarians that they are leaders of a radical revolutionary movement and not useless members of Bourgeois society. The author emphasizes the stark contrast between
bourgeois and Communist societies, noting that in bourgeois society, the past holds power over the present while in Communist society, the present dominates the past. Furthermore, he illustrates how capital in bourgeois society is independent with individuality while living individuals are dependent without individuality.
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