Condorcet, Marx and the Philosophy of History Comparison Essay by Shaad

Condorcet, Marx and the Philosophy of History
A comparison of the Marquis of Condorcet's and Karl Marx's views of a utopian future.
# 113763 | 1,901 words | 7 sources | MLA | 2007 | BD
Published by on May 07, 2009 in Philosophy (History - 19th Century) , Philosophy (History - 18th Century) , History (General) , Political Science (Marx / Engels)


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Description:

This paper compares and contrasts the utopian visions of the Marquis of Condorcet and Karl Marx. The writer explains that they both present philosophies of history that are framed by "progress". However, Condorcet presents a linear vision of progress, whereas Marx bases his on the subtleties of the Hegelian dialectic. Condorcet believes that through the acquisition of knowledge man overcomes his rude beginnings, and thus begins to transcend himself. Marx, on the other hand, does not believe that human nature improves; only that the material conditions change, and that this change is according to material laws directed towards material progress. Both uphold determinism, and yet contradict themselves by projecting fervent ideology.

From the Paper:

"The intensity of the belief in progress held by the French philosophers hinted at a religion. Therefore it is not surprising that the movement culminated into the religion of Comtism, or Positivism, when Auguste Comte formalized the worship of rationalism and progress, with rituals and formal practices aping organized religion and matching it in intensity. Enthusiasm was the hallmark of the French philosophers, and they were religiously assiduous in the task of compiling knowledge and promoting the virtues of reason."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • Condorcet M C, "Outlines of an historical view of the progress of the human mind," Online Library of Liberty, 5 May 2005, 20 November 2007, <http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=1669&layout=html>
  • Engels F, Socialism: Utopian and Scientific, Mondial, Stockport, UK, 2006, p. 69.
  • Hegel G W F, Elements of the Philosophy of Right, Trans. H B Nisbet, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 1991, p. 53.
  • Leibniz G W, Leibniz's Monadology, Ed. N Rescher, Routledge, Oxford, UK, 1991, p. 218.
  • Marx K, "Theses on Feuerbach," Writings of the Young Marx on Philosophy and Society, Trans. L D Easton & Kurt H Guddat, Hackett Publishing, Boston, 1997, p. 402.

Cite this Comparison Essay:

APA Format

Condorcet, Marx and the Philosophy of History (2009, May 07) Retrieved December 03, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/comparison-essay/condorcet-marx-and-the-philosophy-of-history-113763/

MLA Format

"Condorcet, Marx and the Philosophy of History" 07 May 2009. Web. 03 December. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/comparison-essay/condorcet-marx-and-the-philosophy-of-history-113763/>

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