Ideal Societies of the Nineteenth Century Anonymous College

The 19th century was a period of turmoil and significant change. The century consisted of revolutions and various ideas of what philosophy should be used in an effort to alter the lives of people for the better. The century began in a time of instability due to the first French Revolution, Napoleon’s invasion of Russia, and the spread of revolutionary ideas that resulted. During these unstable times, people made an effort to try to figure out how to “fix” their societies. Authors, poets, royalty, and common men all had various ideas as to how they would successfully improve society. Two of these individuals who had ideas of how they would improve society were Karl Marx and John Stuart Mill. While both of these authors had visions of their ideal societies, their methodology, and ideas of how to achieve these societies were quite different. Radical change, societal progress, and the idea of widespread freedom were all factors creating both Marx and Mill’s ideal societies.

Karl Marx published The Communist Manifesto in 1848, a time characterized by its disparity between the poor working class and the wealthier middle class. The poor working class, the proletariat, was facing oppression in many forms by the middle class, the...