Only during crises does the population slowly begin to understand what is actually happening. That's the way life is. Despite the constant efforts of journalists to cover the political situation in the country and in the world, despite the efforts of figures belonging to various parties, the people are not eager to understand how public life is being formed. However, one has only to roll another, unfortunately, a wave of difficulties, as a class community appears. People feel a common interest. The proletariat was especially distinguished by this earlier. What is it? How did the concept develop and what did it become? Let's find out.
The concept of "proletariat"
What is this, everyone knows. Terms such as "revolution", "dictatorship" and so on have not yet disappeared from the minds and anecdotes. The aforementioned concepts were not associated in the same way as they are now with the economy or shale gas. They treatedto a huge population, characterized by certain characteristics. People engaged in the production of material values, working in a certain place in large groups, constituted the proletariat. What did this mean in the past? It was a class that did more than simply create goods for society. Under the capitalist system, he was the main "tool" for obtaining we alth. In addition, people, by the most natural circumstances, were capable of self-organization. They just worked in close teams, knew each other well, talked a lot. Yes, and they usually lived in cramped quarters, which helped to "establish" close contacts.
Where did the concept come from
After several revolutions, we got used to how powerful and proud the word "proletariat" sounds. That this is not so at all, it turns out if you delve into history. It turns out that the concept itself originated in ancient Rome. As you know, the society there was multi-layered. Slaves had no rights. And the patricians were the most powerful and powerful layer. Between these there was another "kind" of the population. These were citizens, of all freedoms having only the right to vote. That is, they did not have property, but they could express their opinion in the elections. They also had the right to give birth to children - the same free citizens. They called them proletarius, which has come down to us in the form of the modern word "proletariat". However, the meaning, of course, was not at all the same. Proletarians were called citizens who benefit the state only because they havechildren. Agree, there is nothing proud in such an interpretation. Rather, neglect slips.
Marx's proletariat
No matter how unpresentable the Romans were about the term, the great theorist of class struggle began to use it. Only the meaning is completely different. According to him, not only politics and power, but also the existence of the state depended on the actions of the proletariat. Naturally, the class had shortcomings that had to be overcome. Marx wrote many works in which he explained how to organize the masses so that they could participate in political life. He did not ignore the weapons of the proletariat. Since the working class was the basis of production, he, according to the philosopher, could regulate social processes precisely by influencing this very process. Strikes and strikes are the weapons of the proletariat. At the same time, the people themselves do not lose what is valuable that they have, since they do not appropriate the added value. And for the capitalists, stopping production is a sharp knife.
Signs of the proletariat
Theorists, in order to have no doubt that this class has a special status, carried out its full analysis. Its main features were highlighted. Not an exploiter. That is, the stratum of society that creates a product with labor. He does not appropriate the latter, which gives him the right to influence society. The proletariat is the most significant part of any state. Its role in creating the material basis is so great that it is impossible to exclude or neutralize it. In addition, this class iscrest of progress. He improves himself and helps the progress of society. It is clear that a person who will rightly be called the leader of such a group gets the opportunity to speak on behalf of the whole people, as he will express the opinion of his main force. Such a person was called the "leader of the proletariat." For example: during the revolution and beyond, he was V. I. Lenin. Known to everyone.
World proletariat
Since the theorists of building a new society did not agree to half measures, they wanted to unite the working class everywhere. The concept of the world proletariat arose. These are people who have the characteristics of a class, who were united not by their place of residence, but by a common idea. They were the basis of world society, which means they could dictate their own conditions for establishing order. Do not assume that everything is in the past. The proletariat as a class still exists today. He has changed somewhat. In addition, it ceased to be as united as before, during the upheavals. However, the concept itself has not disappeared. If at the time of the revolution the leader of the world proletariat called for the building of communism in every country, now he too can appear and engage in the rallying of the people. It is clear that the theory will push him to seek followers among people who meet the above criteria.
Modern proletariat
Before, workers mostly worked with their hands. Times have changed. Now the proletariat is understood as a completely different people. The fact is that production has now moved into the phase of development of mental labor. People who produce thoughts andtechnologies that develop industry, do not appropriate additional value, are now becoming the proletariat. Who is it? Scientists and engineers, programmers and designers. Their work is currently the most promising, advanced. They create the most valuable thing in our society - technology, knowledge. It must not be assumed that such a change reduced the importance of the proletariat. Quite the contrary.
The strength of the current "intellectual working class"
To begin with, we live in a world where resources can run out. Even such a word was invented - "exhaustibility". That is, what the very “add-on product” is made of can simply disappear, since the main part of modern resources is not replenished, or the process is so slow that it is imperceptible to mankind. And it's growing! Goods are required more and more at the current level of consumption. However, he is not satisfied either. It turns out that every year there are more and more people who strive to live as best as possible. Agree, the problem is serious. Under such conditions, the stratum of society that can figure out how to rationally divide existing resources and create new ones becomes paramount. It is these people that the whole world is looking at with hope. They will be able to prevent many catastrophes that scare humanity: to get rid of hunger, disease, wars, and so on.
So the proletariat won?
Coming to the modern understanding of the working class, society is faced withsuch a strange question about why he needs capitalists. Exactly! Previously, they performed a certain useful role - they accumulated resources in order to organize their use. Now the meaning of such an action is becoming more and more illusory. First of all, you need to figure out how to make them reproducible or switch to other sources. This can only be done by people who produce a mental product. Why do they need capitalists? It is much more cost-effective to carry out the entire process by a state that has a social ideology. So the problems of society will be solved more fairly, not competitively. Whether this is true, time will tell. And the modern proletariat has a weapon that is almost impossible to take away: talent, education and skills!
