back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 18653

[from 'works' by Karl Marx, in 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 9. Communism ]

Full Idea

Marx rejected the idea of equal rights, not because he was not a friend to the idea of treating people as equals, but precisely because he thought rights failed to live up to that ideal.

Gist of Idea

Marx rejected equal rights because they never actually treat people as equals

Source

report of Karl Marx (works [1860]) by Will Kymlicka - Contemporary Political Philosophy (1st edn) 5.1

Book Reference

Kymlicka,Will: 'Contemporary Political Philosophy (1st edn)' [OUP 1992], p.163


A Reaction

Presumably because the power to award 'rights' goes to the highest bidder. If equality is to be enshrined in law, it is a bit difficult to see how else to manage it.