strategy

Class struggle

Synonyms:

Class warfare
Socialist struggle
Promoting class warfare
Protesting class disparity
Engaging in class war

Description:

Engaging a class of society in struggle against its oppressors. This requires dividing a society ideologically, economically and politically into 2 major classes: oppressor/oppressed, or proletariat/bourgeoisie as a means of focusing discontent into a socialist revolution.

Context:

1. Although it is a matter of history that classes within a single society (slaves/masters, lords/peasants, kings/church ) have frequently been at war with each other, it was not until the late 19th century that the class struggle or class war as an intellectual concept was formulated. It specifically refers to the final battle between proletariat and bourgeoisie leading to a classless society.

2. For the Marxist, the praxis, and the truth that comes from it, are partisan praxis and truth because the fundamental structure of history is characterized by class-struggle. There follows, then, the objective necessity to enter into the class struggle, which is the dialectical opposite of the relationship of exploitation, which is being condemned. For the Marxist, the truth is a truth of class: there is no truth but the truth in the struggle of the revolutionary class. The fundamental law of history, which is the law of class struggle, implies that society is founded on violence. To the violence which constitutes the relationship of the domination of the rich over the poor, there corresponds the counter-violence of the revolution, by means of which this domination will be reversed. The class struggle is presented as an objective, necessary law. Upon entering this process on behalf of the oppressed, one "makes" truth, one acts "scientifically". Consequently, the conception of the truth goes hand in hand with the affirmation of necessary violence, and so, of a political amorality. Within this perspective, any reference to ethical requirements calling for courageous and radical institutional and structural reforms makes no sense. The fundamental law of class struggle has a global and universal character. It is reflected in all the spheres of existence: religious, ethical, cultural, and institutional. As far as this law is concerned, none of these spheres is autonomous. In each of them this law constitutes the determining element.

Implementation:

The class struggle is conducted by the proletariat in three forms: the economic form (occupational interest of workers, working conditions, trade unions) which prepares for the larger struggle. The political form intertwined with the economic is the highest form of the class struggle, basic proletarian interests, all class involvement, development of the party towards the establishment and consolidation of power. The ideological form inseparable from the other two liberates the proletariat from the bourgeois ideology. Methods of the class struggle include: strikes, demonstrations, boycott of elections, parliamentary struggle and armed uprisings.

Claim:

1. Historical experience reveals that the class struggle against reactionary forces, secular or religious, is the sole path for the liberation of the working people.

2. So long as the oppressed class identifies with the values and aims of the oppressors, they are inhibited from initiating revolutionary action particularly when their leaders are co-opted with honours, knighthoods, high-paying jobs and other corruptions.

Counter Claim:

1. Class struggle underestimates the unique worth of each individual and thus leads to violation of human rights in the name of socialism. 2. Marx's analysis of history is out of date.

3. Participation in the class struggle is presented as a requirement of charity itself. The desire to love everyone here and now, despite his class, and to go out to meet him with the non-violent means of dialogue and persuasion, is denounced as counterproductive and opposed to love. If one holds that a person should not be the object of hate, it is claimed nevertheless that, if he belongs to the objective class of the rich, he is primarily a class enemy to be fought. Thus the universality of love of neighbor and brotherhood become an eschatological principle, which will only have meaning for the "new man", who arises out of the victorious revolution. The class struggle as a road toward a classless society is a myth which slows reform and aggravates poverty and injustice. Those who allow themselves to be caught up in fascination with this myth should reflect on the bitter examples history has to offer about where it leads. They would then understand that we are not talking here about abandoning an effective means of struggle on behalf of the poor for an ideal which has no practical effects. On the contrary, we are talking about freeing oneself from a delusion in order to base oneself squarely on the Gospel and its power of realization. (Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 1984).

Broader:

Protesting
Waging war

Facilitates:

Reducing class discrimination

Facilitated by:

Using class domination
Encouraging class disparity resentment

Problems:

Class conflict
Class consciousness

Values:

War
Struggle
Disparity

References:

Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: Instruction on Certain Aspects of "Theology of Liberation"