Marxist Critique of Rawlsian Liberalism Term Paper

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Therefore, this inequality is just another method of alienating the proletariat from the opportunities provided for the bourgeois. Therefore there should be no difference between natural or gained abilities and the proletariat trait of hard work.

Another major Marxist critique of Rawlsian Liberalism is the idea of choice in each individual's life as a benefiting factor which in turn gives each member of society the potential to earn as much as he or she is capable of based on those individual choices. However, Marx sees this completely differently. Marx believes that every member of the proletariat has only two choices, to work and therefore be exploited, or to not work and essentially starve for lack of compensation. This shows how individuals of the proletariat do not actually have a real choice. If one were to choose to not be exploited, and therefore not work, that person would not be able to provide basic and essential necessities which are needed in order to survive. Naturally then, the proletariat is forced to work in order to survive, which therefore takes all the choice out of their hands.

However, Rawlsian Liberalism believes in the argument of equal opportunity, essentially the right for every individual to choose his or her path as a way to allow that individual unlimited possibilities based solely on their choice. This is an essential foundation for the idea of Liberalism as a whole that each individual's fate is in their own hands.

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Therefore, the idea of exploitation becomes null in the fact that you have a choice not to be exploited. However, Marx would see much differently on this point. As stated earlier, Marx believes that the proletariat does not have a choice at all, but to work or die. So how then does the proletariat fit into this idea of choice? They don't, Marx would say that this is strictly another bourgeois concept which allows them to justify their right to choice, while avoiding facing the fact that they exploit the proletariat. So then, Marx also believes this concept to a plot to justify bourgeois behavior.

Several key aspects of Liberalism, and especially Rawlsian Liberalism, can be heavily criticized using Marxist theory. However, despite any objections to that critique on the behalf of the Liberalist can also be shut down by Marxist ideology. Marx believed that Capitalism both alienated and exploited the proletariat based on the benefit of the bourgeois. The Liberalist answer to these critiques does not defend themselves, but rather from a Marxist view, continues the age old tradition of a bourgeois defending his or her own actions in a way to keep the system going and the….....

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