Marx philosophy of history monograph

Monograph #5 (Karl Marx)

The Bourgeoisie

The concept about the bourgeoisie varies in many different ways. The way of the modern people of our time look at these blessed individuals differed from the view of the 14th 15th century Europeans.

In our concept and understanding of the bourgeoisie, we then to think of them as high class citizens who are wealthy and blessed with a high social status and high standards of living. But the word bourgeoisie evolved from the old French word burgeis, meaning “an inhabitant of a town.”

What does this emphasize? It actually tells us the that word bourgeoisie was neither referred to the nobles nor the ruling class in Europe, but a middle class citizens like doctors, artisans, and merchants who had the knowledge and probably certain amount of wealth.

So the problem occurred when these smart intellects couldn’t obtain or achieve the privileges that the noble class or the aristocrats enjoyed no matter how hard they have worked nor how wealthy they were.

“In the French feudal order pre-revolution, “bourgeois” was a class of citizens who were wealthier members of the Third Estate, but were overtaxed and had none of the privileges which the aristocracy held.” (wikipedia)

The great examples of the class struggle between the aristocrats and the bourgeois is the American Revolution and the Industrial Revolution.

On April of 1775, the war broke out between America and Britain. The well known hero and the founding fathers of the United States, George Washington was appointed as the Major General for the side of Americans, and later becoming the commander-in-chief.

The history records that George Washington was also elected to the Virginia provincial legislature, the House of Burgesses, which makes it clearer to us that George Washington who led the American Revolution, classified himself as a bourgeoisie. And he was fighting against the British monarchy and aristocrats who has limited the power of the wealthy colonizers (including George Washington) the burgesses or the bourgeoisie.

As we all know, America attained freedom after the revolution. After the war, the wealthy colonizers got the freedom and privileges that the aristocrats enjoyed. In fact I believe that it is appropriate to say that these Bourgeoisie brought capitalism as they became the ruling class of our day.

Capitalism is another step closer to the concept of social utopia or the communism that Karl Marx proposed. We never know what would happen but I believe that it is safe to say that the class struggle between the aristocrats and the bourgeoisie brought us the dream and ambitions to get wealthier and higher in social status without limitations.

Bourgeoisie. Retrieved on August 12, 2008
from http://en.wikipedia.org/brougeoisie

George Washington, Retrieved on August 18, 2008
Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/hh/26/hh26f.htm