Only a few days ago, on the 5th May marked the 200th birthday of one of the Scientific Socialisms founding fathers, Karl Marx. The remembrance gave birth to a discussion amongst academics, thinkers and economists, whether there is still something to be learned from Marx.
Comment:
As always, and to no surprise, there are people for and people against. Some argue that the ideas of Marx are dead and that they only left behind a bloody trail of cruel destructive dictatorship, and failed states, while others claim that there are still fundamental ideas, and criticism of capitalism, that we can learn from today.
Marx was without a doubt wrong in many ways, but there are definitely things we can learn. Marx correctly pointed out some of the weaknesses of the Capitalistic system with all its inherent flaws and instability, but there is a more important lesson to learn.
Marx was without doubt a man above average and his thoughts were groundbreaking and still have an impact (though declining) today. To criticize capitalism and come with a fundamental different alternative is impressive, but he was also wrong, and that is the most important lesson. However impressive and comprehensive, the human mind is limited, and one must know its limits.
As one university professor put it: As all classics, Marx on many fronts have been overtaken by reality, so you have to read him exactly as a classic. But he had an eye for the economy being an integrated part of society and history, and we never know the next chapters of history. So despite his showy beard he was no prophet and could not be. That is something the economic fortunetellers of our times could learn from.”
Human made ideologies will be always be inherently flawed and are bound to fail at some point. This is because the human mind is limited and cannot comprehend nor predict everything.
The only correct solution is a system sent from the Creator of the heavens and the earth. The role of the mind within this area is thus not to create and develop, but to understand and implement.
Islam is here and all we have to do is present, convince and implement its ideas and rulings.
That is what we can learn from Marx.
Junes Kock