This document is about my individual research project on Marxism and its connection to critical thinking. It starts with an introduction explaining Marxism, including important ideas like class struggle and criticism of capitalism. The project analyzes Marxism critically by looking at its impact on...
How did Marxism influence historians in the twentieth century? (Draft)
One way Thomspon was influenced by Marx is when he talks about the working class who
were exploited through the social structures of society. He was influenced by historians and
justified it when he saw the real-life experiences of the working class in Britian. In his book the
“The Making of the English Working class” he shows how there was a growing “class
consciousness”5 this seems to suggest that the working class were becoming more aware of
the challenges they were facing. The shared interest of the working class allowed them to
work together. In addition, Thomson also shows that the working class began to form “trade
unions...political organization”6 to help them improve their living conditions. This shows that
Thomspon is reflecting on Marxist ideas of “class struggles” 7 and wanted the proletariat to
unite to breakdown the capitalist system. Furthermore, Marx wanted to them to unite so
everyone had equal power and the working class were not oppressed by the “sway of feudal
nobility”8. Another way Thomspon was influenced my Marx is the effect on the working-class
“freedom meant that he felt his unfreedom more”9 this emphaises that when the working
class were facing limitations on their freedom they were able to understand what they were
missing. The quote also suggests that the working class were not just being exploited by the
working class but also wanted their own liberation such as better working conditions, and
higher pay. This also seems to reinforce that they wanted the “freedom of the worker” which
would help them change the oppression that they were facing through the capitalist
system.
However, some historians such as Simon De Beauvoir agree that Thompson was
influenced by Marxist ideas due to his emphasis on class struggle and capitalist oppression.
She critiques Thompson for not focusing on women who also suffered from the capitalist
system. She states that as “bourgeoise women, are more in solidarity with bourgeoise men
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