-
Essay / The contradictions of capitalism - 1351
Capitalism controls or enslaves the worker by making his existence dependent on the production process instead of on the production of labor for its own sake. The worker is historically different in a capitalist society because he is separated from production. He no longer produces for himself but for general wealth, or the wealth of the capitalist. Capitalism even controls the capitalist himself by transforming him into a mechanism that acts as the driving force of capitalism. As a result, the capitalist creates a society that is alienating and brutal to the worker. However, the domination of the capitalist system leads to the creation of a collective work group which can become a form of human development and the creation of new radical social changes. The fundamental domination of capitalism lies in the domination over the capitalist himself. The goal of capital is to accumulate as much wealth as possible. To do this, different tasks must be distributed to increase production. Capitalism is driven by a circuit which consists of having money, exchanging it for a commodity, then reselling this product but for a greater quantity of money, or MC-M'. Capital is transformed into both money and commodities, while differentiating itself from its original value by creating surplus value and expanding spontaneously (334). For a capitalist to succeed, he must never stop this cycle, he must always continue to grow his capital. The “final result of each separate circuit […] alone constitutes the starting point of a new circuit” (333). This idea creates in the capitalist a competitive mentality, a desire to always find new ways to increase productivity and reduce costs in order to increase...... middle of paper ......ee scope to his own natural and acquired powers” (414). Therefore, even if machines dominate wage labor by enabling its exploitation, they also lead to the development of social wealth. Furthermore, modern industry is revolutionizing family and social structures. The machines allow all family members and all ages to participate in the work. This change leads to equalization of the sexes and independence of young people from their parents. Machines open the labor market to “individuals of both sexes and all ages” who “under appropriate conditions become a source of human development” (415). The process of capitalism will therefore produce individuals capable of adapting to different situations, equipped with a wide range of skills and who will contribute to the growth of human experience through the revolution of social wealth..