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Comparing Douglas And Marx's Concept Of Property

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Both Marx and Douglas agree that there is an original concept of property that is more inclusive and positive, but society functions based a hidden idea of property that exploits other humans. For Marx, the original concept of property is positive to society as a whole and is not discriminative but inclusive. He says that man is defined by his production which enables him to contribute to people around him which makes him a species-being. However, this concept of property is corrupted when society starts to attribute value to labor. Marx claims that the capitalist idea of property corrupts man’s idea of species-being, his idea of himself as a human being. Though corrupted, Marx claims that it is possible to return to the true original idea …show more content…

They cannot ever be property. Douglass argues that the resolution for slavery is the responsibility of the church. He says to “let the religious press, the pulpit, the Sunday school, the conference meeting, the great ecclesiastical, missionary, Bible and tract associations of the land array their immense powers against slavery and slave-holding; and the whole system of crime and blood would be scattered to the winds; and that they do not do this involves them in the most awful responsibility of which the mind can conceive” (31). Douglass claims that religious authorities have “immense powers against slavery and slave-holding;” thus, if they decide to raise against this “system of crime and blood” the problem with slavery could be resolved. The Bible advocates for a system of liberty and equality where even person has the same rights and enjoys the same kind of freedom. However, the system that society is presented with is “system of crime and blood” where people held as property and are deprived of basic human rights such as liberty and dignity. The church ought to change and create a system of liberty and equality instead of a “system of crime and blood”. It is impossible to build a society based on such Christianity values, liberty and equality, with “system of crime and blood.” They indeed have “the most awful responsibility of which the mind can conceive;” however, to truly do the will of God they have raise up and stand against this “system of crime and blood” and fight for equality and liberty for

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