I am nothing but I must be everything.
Karl MarxRead
Political economy regards the proletarian like a horse, he must receive enough to enable him to work. It does not consider him, during the time when he is not working, as a human being. It leaves this to criminal law, doctors, religion, statistical tables, politics, and the beadle.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Marx critiques how political economy dehumanizes the working class by treating them solely as economic units.
In this quote, Karl Marx expresses his concern about the way political economy views the proletariat, likening their treatment to that of a horse that requires sustenance to work, but is ignored in their humanity when they are not laboring. He points out that this economic perspective neglects the broader aspects of human life and experience, leaving it to other institutions such as law, medicine, and religion to address the needs and dignity of people outside of their work roles.
Themes
ProletariatPolitical EconomyDehumanizationWorkHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on labor rights, one might quote Marx to emphasize the need for viewing workers as whole individuals.
More from Karl Marx
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To be radical is to grasp things by the root.
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Men's ideas are the most direct emanations of their material state.
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