Communism

The idea of Communism on paper seems to be a perfect fit for a country because it is a model of equality. This equality will cause a decrease in hostility towards different classes because there is no class inequality. However, like every system there are problems that arise that are unexpected. When communism is peaking it is the high ranking officials that isolate themselves from the norms of society. They can take the land they desire for their use along with get rich off of the wealth of their country. If the rules were followed religiously there will be limited problems, but this is easier said than done.

Production= life

"He begins to distinguish himself from the animal the moment he begins to produce his means of subsistence, a step required by his physical organization. By producing food, man indirectly produces his material life itself" (p. 107 Marx).


Marx believes that production is the main difference that distinguishes humans from all other animals in the world. We have the power and mind to produce for the future to make survival more suitable for both an individual and the community. In this cases the commodity is priceless for all.

Science of Man

"Natural science will in time include the science of man as the science of man will include natural science: There will be one science" (p. 77 Marx).


He explains that different sciences are intertwined within one another and in time will be seen as one. Because like many other issues that Marx explores he takes a look at the surrounding areas in order to get a better idea of what he views as the "true answers' " (p. 77 Marx).

Private Property?

"Communism as positive overcoming of private property as human self-alienation, and thus as the actual appropriation of the human essence through and for man;..., that is human being (P. 71 Marx).


Marx describes private property contributes to the development of human beings. However, this quote left me feeling confused of how it actually relates to one another. Through the process of private property brings humans closer to creating a society.

man and product

"If man is related to the product of his labor, to his objectified labor, as to an alien, hostile, powerful object independent of him, he is so related that another alien, hostile, powerful independent of him is the lord of this object" (p. 65 Marx).


I found the quotation very confusing, but i believe that it means that the buyer or other individual that is associated to the product will decide whether or not the product is successful.

Working flaws

"The worker becomes poorer the more wealth he produces, the more his production increases in power and extent. The worker becomes a cheaper commodity the more commodities he produces" (p. 59 Marx).


I feel that this quotation gives the worker not that much of an incentive to work hard and produce mass amounts of the desired product. the buyer is getting the better end of the deal while the workers importance decreases.

product for your need

"To be sure, from your point of view your product is an instrument, a means for the appropriation of my product and for the satisfaction of your need" (p. 52 Marx).


This is the first time that I have seen a product referred to as an instrument. It seems to take away from the value of the product being sold. I have not taken any sort of economics classes, which may cause the terms and discussion of products to seem distant.

money

"Likewise, money originally represents by its very concept: (1) private property for private property; (2) society for private property; (3) private property for society" (p. 42 Marx).

The quote is interesting because it brings the reader through a step by step view at how money is represented. Marx looks at the opposite of every situation in order to make better sense of money (ex. society vs priv, priv vs. society).

What to Will

"... man would rather will nothingness than not will" (p. 163 Nietzsche).


The quote again supports being Atheistic and applying science to find answers. Science tries to oppose atheism but really replaces god with truth.

Survival of the Fittest?

"The sick represent the greatest danger for the healthy; it is not the strongest but the weakest who spell disaster for the strong" (p. 122 Nietzsche).


This quotation brought out an issue of how Darwin's theory of "only the strong survive" is put to the test. By having the weak destroying the strong does not follow Darwin's theory and reminded me of the Bubonic plague. The plague caused disaster that spread throughout the world and caused chaos in the homes and minds of individuals.

Socrates and Nietzsche

"Henceforth, my dear philosophers, let us be on guard against the dangerous old conceptual fiction that posited a "pure, will-less, painless, timeless knowing subject;"(p. 119 Nietzsche).


The quote reminded me of Socrates and the way that he spoke to those of the philosphy world. Also, the issue of how time is explained in both Trial and Death and Plato. It resembles the idea of death and how it is timeless and also painless.

Atheism

On page 91 (top) it describes how the feeling of guilt is on the decline with the spread of atheism throughout the community. This can directly connect with religion contributing to people living more civilized and peaceful lives. But, in some cases the teachings of fearing god can be a scare tactic in order for individuals to follow the rules and laws of society.

Conscience and Free Will

"I regard the bad conscience as the serious illness that man was bound to contract under the stress of the most fundamental change he ever experience -that change which occurred when he found himself finally enclosed within the walls of society and peace." (p. 84 Nietzsche).

Here Nietzsche tells that society is the cause for an individual to develop a bad conscience. He states that the standards that society puts on people within its limits will change an individual. This change takes away from the individuals free will, that was apparently invented by philosophers. In the end it is the pressures of society that lead to the shaping of people.

Act Now

"The active, aggressive, arrogant man is still is still a hundred steps closer to justice than the reactive man; for he has absolutely no need to take a false and prejudiced view of the object before him in the way the reactive man does and is bound to do" (p. 75 Nietzsche)


The quote can relate to other issues that occur throughout people lives. The individual that is the most active and puts the most time into a specific idea they will have a better understanding. There is no way to measure how far ahead you may be, however, the individual will feel more comfortable and confident towards the pursuit of justice or the desired information.

Surely, that philosophers' invention, so bold and so fateful, which was then first devised for Europe, the invention of "free will", of the absolute spontaneity of man in good and evil...( p. 69 Nietzsche)


I found it interesting that they feel that they say that free will was invented. Also, I first thought of the idea that religion helped create the idea or theory of free will. Free will does not seem to be an invention, but a part of our everyday lives and the idea that we have our own choice to act the way we feel fit.

Punishment

"As parents still punish their children, from anger at some harm or injury, vented on the one who caused it... every injury has its equivalent and can actually be paid back" (p. 63 Nietzsche)


Here Nietzsche explores the issue of punishment and discusses if it is possible to do so. I think it is very difficult to find an exact and equal response to a wrongdoing that someone has committed. Because we never know if the individual is truly sorry and able to be placed back into society and be trusted.

Animal nature

"Man could never do without blood, torture, and sacrifices when he felt the need to create a memory for himself"(p. 61 Nietzsche).

The quotation displays the instinct of man. It brings of the animal nature that is present in the minds and actions of human beings. These are the actions that re thought of as being long gone during the course of creating civilized societies.

Beasts of Prey

On page 40 there is a quote that talks about good men, then it refers to men that go outside their norm as "beasts of prey".


Nietzsche also talks of how when taken out of their society they become monster-like and would resort to all kinds of crimes because of the shock that they encounter. But the notion of calling a human a beast seems to be extreme yet in modern society or recent was used to describes slaves and other sorts of social outcasts.

Gandhi Science

" Those English books which are valuable, we should translate them into the various Indian languages. We should abandon the pretension of learning many sciences".(p. 57 Gandhi)



The quotation demotes the furthering of the sciences and again stays toward the teachings of religion. He says that the information should be available to the public for their interpretation. In the end it is up to the public to interpret the information that is at the hands of the people. Also, it would further the idea of how people of English decent may live and view situations.

Fear of god

"A man who realized his manhood, who fears only God, will fear no one else". (p. 49 Gandhi).

I found it interesting that Gandhi writes if a a man fears God.... I do not see why Gandhi would not condemn those that fear God. God in my eyes is not something that should be feared, it seems that is should be indulged or seen as sacred.

Rich and Poor

Our ancestors, therefore, set a limit to our indulgences.... A man is not necessarily happy because he is rich, or unhappy because he is poor. The rich are often seen to be unhappy, the poor to be happy. Millions always remain poor. Observing all this, our ancestors dissuaded us from luxuries and pleasures" (p. 35 Gandhi).

The quotation was very confusing and conflicts with the view we have today. The rich seem carry the heir of being happy and having no problems. The poor are seen to many as being inferior and depressed because of their lack of funds and in some cases level of education. This is just an example that I have had in my life with those who commented on people from lower levels of living.

God vs. Technology

My last post concerned religion and technology. I thought of the idea that people depended on the church in order to get answers to questions that they could not explain. But, now a days scientists are the main people of interest to be talked to in regards to a difficult question. Also, this caused major revolutions throughout the world, causing the church to be seen as unreliable in some cases. However, in the end some scientists still believe that the events that led to the creation of man are very complex and if there was some slight change in many different aspects will have changed the outcome significantly.

Forgetting where you come from

"God set a limit to man's locomotive ambition in construction of his body. Man immediately proceeded to discover means of overriding the limit... Man abused it so that he might forget his Maker".( p. 26 Gandhi).


It is very interesting to think of the concept that God is being forgotten due to the formation of civilization and technology. Also, how Gandhi feels that man has abused his own power causing him to forget about his Maker. This seems to have some faults because i do not think that man is forgetting about God i think he is just occupied with the new and interesting technologies in the community.

Laws?

"The more prohibitions and rules,/ The poorer people become./ The sharper the people's weapons,/ The more they riot... The more elaborate the laws,/ The more they commit crimes. (p. 57 Tao Te Ching)


The quote shows how it is human nature for some to rebel against those that put laws into place. It is human nature to have feelings of being completely free and being your own person. However, the fact that we are not free and essentially just play the role of individuals in a society. Laws are put into effect to try and "protect society" but are also meant to be broken by the outcasts of society.

Rebellion

People are hungry./ When rulers tax grain/ People are hungry./ People are rebellious. (p. 75 Tao).
Lao- Tzu describes the state how people react to the actions of the government. He describes how it is better when the government limits its power instead of creating laws and other regulations that impact the lives of individuals. However, when individuals personal lives are put into jeopardy, they can cause an uprising against their own ruling leaders.

Boundaries

"Neighboring countries are so close/ You can hear their chickens and dogs./ But people grow old and die/ Without needing to come and go. (p. 80 Tao Te Ching).

The quotation shows the instinct of individuals and the idea that they do not feel the need broaden their minds. They do not feel the need to advance their country based on the thought that their ways of thinking.

re: Mockingbird

In my last paper I examined how civilizations can be created and altered. In Rives Mockingbird skit he tells his master plan how he thinks that that through his intervention of releasing these birds into the environment that they would change civilizations. The diversity that would be present after the sounds of the different mockingbirds converge on one another. Rives believes diversity makes civilizations flourish.