De Tocqueville was a politician from France who critically studied the United States socio-political systems in 1831. De Tocqueville examined individuals across different political and social classes and culture. He noted that there were masters who enslaved others by holding the end of their life chains. That is there were powerful authorities that controlled every man’s actions by creating chains of control. Karl Marx was a Germany sociologist, philosopher, political theorist and social revolutionary who worked with Friedrich Engels a Germany thinker. According to Marx, workers were enslaved by capitalists as their masters. Capitalism created chains that would further poverty and lead to an economic crisis among workers worldwide. This paper compares the view of the two with regard to the nature of the chains and the weapons for breaking them.
In De Tocqueville view, the ever watchful authorities in the United States create chains of control into each individual’s thoughts and actions. The presence of authorities that are set to ward off all dangers in each individual's actions and thoughts creates a political climate that is controlled and does not provide a conducive environment for freedom (De Tocqueville, 2003). Thus, the authorities form an absolute master to individual life and liberty. Americans automatically found themselves under the leading strings of the authorities who in turn are controlled by few at the end of the chain - the political class who make and empower the authorities.
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On the other hand, Karl Marx viewed capitalism as the creator of chains to proletarians. With the increase in the capitalist mode of production, two social classes developed - the wage laborers and the capitalists (Marx & Engels, 2014). The capitalists aspire to produce more than sufficient for their use and acquire more resources. Since the proletarians lack sufficient means of production, they rely and survive on wage labor from the capitalists. With increased capitalism, the workers or the proletarians would endless live under the chains of capitalists control as they depend on them for their survival.
De Tocqueville explained that the weapon to break the chains of the ever-watchful authorities in the United States was to cultivate true democracy. America had to change its laws for its spring of public virtues was dry. Without true democracy or the existence of democracy that is mechanically controlled makes the Americans mare objects but not citizens (De Tocqueville, 2003). With true democracy, there would be freedom and liberty from the chains of authorities. However, De Tocqueville also noted that for liberty to be established there should be morality and faith. Thus, democracy is the weapon to attain freedom, liberty, morality, and faith in America.
Karl Max, on the other hand, believed that revolution was the best weapon to break the chains of capitalism. To stop the increasing rate of capitalism globally, there was a need to stimulate the proletarians to revolt and overthrow their masters (Marx & Engels, 2014). Karl Marx offers two possible choices to adopt – socialism or barbarism since both would ensure equality in resource and minimize social classes. Thus, workers had nothing much to lose if they revolt but would lose the chains of capitalism that have a future effect on generations to come.
In conclusion, both De Tocqueville and Karl Max had the intent of making humanity better by breaking the chains that silently control their life. The two had a different viewpoint on the chains that enslave and control human freedom. As De Tocqueville viewed authorities as to the enslaving chains, Karl Marx viewed capitalism as enslaving workers. As a solution to break the chains, De Tocqueville advocated for true democracy while Karl Marx advocated for revolution.
Reference
De Tocqueville, A. (2003). Democracy in america (Vol. 10). America: Regnery Publishing.
Marx, K., & Engels, F. (2014). The communist manifest . International Publishers Co; New edition edition.
