As we have seen in this unit, industrialization represented a major turning point in world history. Even as it transformed daily life in industrializing societies, it also altered the balance of power in world affairs. The consequences of industrialization, as we have seen, generated a wide range of debate. One of these centered on the origins of this new economic system. Those written by Adam Smith and Karl Marx are among the most influential of these discussions. One praised the new system. The other condemned it. Both, however, worked to understand its historical roots. This essay is designed to encourage students to think critically about the role of competing historical narratives in the debates around the origins and consequences of the Industrial Revolution. Simply put, the essay will help students better understand the relationship between our stories about the past and our understanding of the present.
For this essay, you will compare and contrast the selections linked below from Adam Smith’s An Inquiry into the Wealth of Nations (1776) and Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’s Manifesto of the Communist Party (1848). Your essay should take into account the historical context in which both were written. Among the points of comparison are: explicit or implicit discussions of the origins of capitalist industrialization (i.e., how do they use history to make their case), moral or ethical considerations of industrialization’s impact, and/or explicit or implicit arguments for the future.
Expectations and Criteria for Success:
You should base your discussion with the information in the Unit 5 course content module as well as the two sources linked above, but outside research is allowed if needed. Outside research should be supplemental to the two primary sources attached to this essay. DO NOT use Wikipedia as a source. As always, be sure to keep track of where you find your information so that you can provide citations in your final essay. Essays should be typed in 12-point font with a simple, clean font such as Times New Roman. Use 1″ inch margins on all sides and double-space the text. Your essays should each be around 1000 words.