Posted: September 12th, 2023

Key rhetorical devices used by Karl Marx in the Communist Manifesto

Key rhetorical devices used by Karl Marx in the Communist Manifesto to develop his argument about class struggles:
In the Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx employs powerful rhetorical techniques to develop his argument that history is defined by class struggles between the bourgeoisie and proletariat. Through declarative statements, comparison and contrast of the classes, articulation of causes and effects, and convincing argumentation, Marx aims to leave a lasting impression on readers about the inevitability of revolution.
Marx sets the tone from the outset with a strong declarative sentence: “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles” (Marx, 1848). This opening establishes history as a series of antagonisms between social classes vying for power and resources. Marx then contrasts the bourgeoisie and proletariat, stating the former “has simplified class antagonisms” but not eliminated them, resulting in society splitting into “two great hostile camps” (Marx, 1848). These contrasting statements effectively introduce and define the two main classes at the center of Marx’s thesis.
Comparison and contrast remain pivotal devices as Marx delineates the attributes of the bourgeoisie and proletariat. He portrays the bourgeoisie as a revolutionary class that developed capitalism’s productive forces while the proletariat, lacking property or means of production, is reduced to selling their labor (Marx, 1848). This juxtaposition highlights the economic disparity between the classes that fuels social tensions. Marx also contrasts their opposing interests, with the bourgeoisie aiming to keep wages low and profits high while the proletariat fights for a fair livelihood (Marx, 1848). Such vivid contrasts bring the classes into clear relief and demonstrate their inevitable conflict.
In addition to comparing attributes, Marx traces the causal relationships between the classes’ actions and reactions. He argues the bourgeoisie’s accumulation of capital concentrates ownership while dispossessing others, enlarging the proletariat (Marx, 1848). This shows how capitalism’s dynamics enlarge one class at the expense of another. Marx also links effects back to causes, asserting the proletariat’s increasing numbers and shared plight will engender class-consciousness and organization against the bourgeoisie (Marx, 1848). Outlining these cause-and-effect chains lends Marx’s thesis a sense of historical inevitability.
Marx bolsters his argument with well-reasoned declarations. He states the bourgeoisie’s revolutionary role created “the material conditions for the existence of the proletariat” (Marx, 1848). This ties capitalism’s development directly to creating its gravediggers in the proletariat. Marx concludes powerfully that the proletariat can only overcome its predicament through its own revolution, overthrowing the bourgeois order entirely (Marx, 1848). Such forceful conclusions leave readers with a clear sense of Marx’s well-supported position.
In sum, Marx’s rhetorical mastery in the Communist Manifesto stems from his adroit employment of declarative statements, comparison and contrast of social classes, articulation of causal relationships, and well-reasoned argumentation. These techniques bring conceptual clarity, historical context and persuasive force to Marx’s thesis on the centrality of class struggle (Marx, 1848). Over 170 years later, the Communist Manifesto remains a model of cogent socialist argumentation due to Marx’s deft use of rhetorical devices.

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