Karl Marx’s The Communist Manifesto is the most famous work of the author, which addresses the issue of class conflict. The work begins with a claim that the entire history of humanity was based on the struggle of class (Marx 14). The bourgeoisie is the wealthiest elites who oppress, undermine, and exploit the working class. Societies across the globe are dual because there only rich and poor classes.
Money is the centerpiece of the capitalist economy, which makes the working class miserable and disregarded. In addition, it is proposed to means of production and property need to be owned by the community and not the bourgeoisie. It is also important to eliminate the inheritance of wealth, at least until there is total equality in society. Marx claims that the major and positive changes are not possible by only reforming the capitalistic system, and thus, the system needs to be fully overthrown (Marx 28). This means that the reactionary approach cannot work in the context of class conflict, which leads to revolutions. The work is concluded by calling for action, which can only be done through revolutions across the globe.
The main rhetorical strategies used by Karl Marx are analyzing cause and effect and classifying and dividing. He primarily presents a highly contrasting view of economy and society, where there are the wealthy bourgeoisie and oppressed working class. This division allows the author to make bold and radical statements, which are designed to call for action. In addition, the cause of misery and suffering among the working class is due to the rich, who intentionally undermine their workers.
In my opinion, Karl Marx used this strategy of contrasting and classifying in order to conclude with his call for action. Throughout the writing, there is almost no specific example, and most evidence is intuitional. This does not mean that his statements are incorrect, but they are not effectively designed to start a discussion on the topic. The main tone of the work is to initiate the change in an immediate manner.
References
Marx, Karl. The Manifesto of the Communist Party. 1848. Web.