Marx vs. Plato & Locke: A Comparative Analysis of Philosophy
Marx vs. Plato
These two authors establish several relationships. One is that both belong to different philosophical currents. Marx is guided by materialism and believes everything revolves around what has a body, stating that everything is corporeal. Plato says the origin of being is spiritual, namely the idea of good, with everything part of it, the world called “Idealism.”
Another important aspect is that these authors produced a relationship of inequality. Marx, when viewing history, does so from a dialectical point, abandoning materialism for idealism, proposing to study how the history of ideas is changing. This created a mismatch with Plato, who belongs 100% to idealism and states that ideas do not change. Plato recognizes the change proposed by Marx but does not share it and believes this is negative for man.
Politics
As for politics, Marx argues for a government where the people have direct power (democracy), thus establishing equality for all men. Plato, in this regard, has said that the government has to be aristocratic, residing in the best, which is to say, the philosophers. This is a minority and establishes inequalities and differences (social classes) among the people.
We include in this relationship private property, which depends on the government. In Marx’s society, called communism, private property disappears, and there is equality among men. Plato dismisses Marx’s idea, as he only approves the heads of government (philosophers) and the guards.
Marx vs. Locke
These two philosophers set out three fundamental relationships: two of inequality and one of similarity.
Private Property
One inequality has to do with private property. As previously advocated by Marx, a fundamental principle of communism is equality between men, and one of the main elements that breaks this equality is private property. Marx removes it, but Locke considers this element a natural right to man, used by him as a “way to measure” work done by human beings.
Politics
Politically speaking, Marx and Locke reset to a relationship of inequality. Marx defends the people’s government, a republic of direct democracy, in which the people have political power. Locke says that power must reside in one person but surrounded by others who authorize that person to make laws. This is known as a parliamentary monarchy.
Theory of Value
Finally, Marx and Locke establish a relationship of equality and make the theory of value, which states that market value “price” is marked depending on the work invested and necessary for the product. The more work invested in, the more expensive that product will be.