Theoretical Implications of the Influence of Money on Contemporary Political Regimes
The changing dynamics of money throughout history has caused a number of divergent paths regarding political regimes in contemporary light. However, in order to look at the influence of money in terms of contemporary political regimes, one must first look to Karl Marx and his theories on capitalism within societies in The Communist Manifesto. Marx argues that human nature is not fixed and that humans are perfectible, but also, and most importantly, that any limits we place on ourselves are self-created. This notion is especially important to consider when looking at the theoretical implications of the influence of money on contemporary regimes because it allows one to explore the overarching questions of how do people work and what exactly are people working for. Marx argues further that positive, pure freedom comes only from the pure lack of desire to dominate others, which is essential with this particular context. Individuals, societies, or even states are only controlled by the things they choose to be controlled by – in this case, money.
Marx’s particular perspective on capitalism, while dated, is applicable to the contemporary political sphere and also allows for one to transition easily into Barrington Moore’s, The Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy. Moore’s work emphasizes the role of capitalism in the development of modern states, but does so from a revolutionary lens. Most importantly, Moore explores how societies are structured when capitalism is introduced in order to see why modern states are formulated in particular ways. Moore notes in his, The Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy, that the profits from industrialization helped stress the importance of capitalism and eventually led to class distinction and solidification. With the emergence of strong capitalistic and industrial societies, states underwent revolutions in response to vast changes. The results of the noted revolutions varied drastically and ended in what Moore describes as three different regime types – democratic, fascist, and communist. While Moore’s work is broad and covers a number of different political and societal problems throughout history, he argues a number of essential points when dealing with the influence of money. For instance, the role of capitalism within a society and therefore the relationship among social classes within a system affects the type of revolution (or development) a nation may undergo in the future. Moore’s work is essential in looking at the theoretical implications of money on contemporary regimes due to the fact that it not only allows individuals to see how money effects change throughout history, but also because it allows for individuals to project forward and question the nature of economics as history continues.
Both Marx and Moore’s works allow for one to see that money has and will continue to play a large role in the development of societies. The particular way in which the economy is structured at specific points in history is essential in understanding the future of political regimes due to the fact that economics shifts the way in which individuals think about what they need and how they will get what they need.
**Please take a look at an article by The Economist, which explains Moore's work further and projects forward. (http://www.economist.com/node/13063306)
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