Karl Marx Vs. Sigmund Freud: Were They Really That Different?

It is safe to say that Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud can be classified as some the most highly intellectual men of not only their time, but possibly ever. These were men that viewed the world from a different lens then most people and through their views can be seen as revolutionary. This poses the question: Were these many really that different? Were they in fact similar? The answer to both is yes to a certain extent. Through the reading and in class lectures I formulate the opinion that both Freud and Marx saw some kind of conflict in society as well as man, they just approached it differently perhaps due to life experience as well as their schooling. Sigmund Freud, a superbly intelligent neurologist, believed that mans constant struggle could be directly related perhaps to a psychological conflict within their psyche. Marx on the other hand, a brilliant thinker and revolutionist, believed that society’s as well as mans pitfall could be attributed to economic struggles. As you can see Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud had very deep intellectual views on society and now I will go more in depth and pick apart both the beliefs. Karl Marx, An educated German thinker viewed society as well as human nature harshly. Marx, through writing the Communist Manifesto can be seen as a man who believed in equality and harmony, which he believed, could be achieved through government. Marx believed that through sharing we could achieve a peaceful utopian like society where everyone’s needs were met. Marx took to the stand to that in society you should receive according to your needs and contribute according to your talents. As you can see through what I just stated he firmly took to the belief that capitalism is immoral and bad for society. He felt that through a free uncontrolled capitalistic economy a person essentially is owned. By this he means that through working for someone (the upper class) you are essentially his or her property and this can influence every aspect of your life. Marx stood to believe that if you are not lucky enough to be born in the upper class, then basically you become stagnant and even decline and through he formulated the social class conflict theory. This theory essentially says that the richer are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer. Marx firmly believed that with this injustice and tension revolution was bound to occur eventually.

Sigmund Freud, a mechanistic philosopher whose discoveries still greatly influence our world today took a psychological approach when determining what he believed societies struggle was. As a result of this he formulated the ID, Superego, and Ego. The ID is our sexual aggressive drive, essentially our want and instinct. What keeps this in check is our Superego and this basically controls our drive and enables us to live with one another stimulating a balancing effect. Lastly, the Ego is the product of the tension between the ID and superego and that is our conscious self and what we are in reality. Freud believed in extensive Psychotherapy rather than medication when trying to fix a person mentally. He believed that were all like machines in a sense, almost like a car. He took the viewpoint that just like you can readjust and tune a car you can do the same to a human. Sigmund Freud thought everyone is neurotic and essentially emotionally fragile and that is just a minor issue. Many of these people can have a job, hold relationships and function in society (normal). He said on the other hand when someone is Psychotic that is when you cannot function is society and then you need professional help! Through his use of psychoanalysis Freud believed some unconscious uncovered things might come out into the consciousness and only then can you deal with them and solve them over time.

Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud are some of the most influential thinkers, and philosophers possibly ever. Both recognized a conflict in man and society and both took different approaches to what they believed this conflict was. Marx believed that the conflict was in the use of capitalism (free uncontrolled open economy) because he felt this allowed the rich to become even richer, while the poor become even poorer. He took to the solution of communism where everyone and everything is essentially equal. Freud on the other hand believed societies conflict lied within the psyche of man. His solution to this problem was through psychoanalysis where a persons unconscious thoughts my come out and only then can you fix the problem. As you can see both Marx and Freud shared a difference, but they were certainly not as different as one may think.