Human beings are social in nature, dependent on each other to truly flourish. Modern life, however, seems to work against the conditions necessary for humanity's success, driving members of society toward alienation under the illusion of a thriving, collaborative social system. When it comes to ideological concepts and derived meanings, these things are fundamentally social and are strongly influenced by the parameters of the society from which they come to fruition: such ideas have informed the questions of philosophers and political theorists of the post-political era. -The past of the Enlightenment and the near present. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get an original essay According to Stanley Cavell in Must We Mean What We Say?, part of this alienation is due to the establishment of general norms within language that are used in modern life. Modern conversation has slowly evolved into a process of motions – words spoken without regard to their implications. Too often, topics are treated too objectively with little recognition of context or history – the latter, according to Cavell, can encompass "one's own past, what is past or what happened in oneself" (Cavell XIX). The reliance on concepts evoked by words has taken consideration away from their true purpose or objective. While Karl Marx also challenges the apparent alienation present in modern life, Marx identifies the source as being rooted in the nature of relations of production. These relationships define the economic structure of a society, and from this basis a political structure develops. During the 19th century, the distinction between the working class and the exploiters of the working class became apparent, a shift marked by capitalism fueled by industrialization. The position of the worker has become like a cog in a wheel, its mechanistic role fostering alienation to exist beyond class, extending to the individual. By using physical labor to create commodities for consumption by capitalist society, workers' bodies also became commodities, their physical being and skills transformed into objects to be exchanged for nominal wages. Karl Marx, in his Communist Manifesto, established a basic superstructure. distinction to highlight the idea that government and laws are not natural events, but simply manifestations of social realities dominated by class interests. Bottom-up reforms are essential to bring about meaningful change within the superstructure. This is why the economic (base) and political (superstructure) revolutions go hand in hand to combat the alienation that is a consequence of stratified social classes. Marx's base-superstructure model extends beyond economic and political practices to individual beings themselves. “It is not the consciousness of men which determines their being, but on the contrary their social being which determines their consciousness. » (Marx 160) The leveling of class disparities would have a direct impact on the societal place of individuals in the outside world. It is the external environment that acts as the basis that dictates the superstructure that is their consciousness and the way they perceive things. By establishing the conditions of the external world which are an integral part of the mental state of the individual, Marx introduces a clear contradiction with traditional Cartesian ideas. individualistic thinking. In the sixth meditation of his Meditations onfirst philosophy, Descartes establishes that he has a “clear and distinct idea” of himself which he cannot doubt, while his physical being is something that could “possibly” exist. Based on these premises, he concludes that the mind is sovereign over the external world, existing in a way "entirely and absolutely distinct from the body." (Descartes 1-27) Cavell and Marx would say that there is no sovereignty of the mind, for the things that subsist in the mind – thoughts, values, opinions – are intangible concepts established by nature order and social structures. Speaking is necessary for learning, and learning is “essential to understanding what science” – or any subject – is” (Cavell XVIII). Marx describes language as a “practical consciousness” (Marx 173), its presence confirming that the mind is a “social product.” (Marx 174) Descartes certainly acknowledges the use of language in the development of his work, but he expresses concern about the imposition of words and how he is “almost deceived by the terms of ordinary language.” However, Cavell also addresses issues related to the “complexity of assertions” (Cavell 12) developed from vocabulary, particularly that of vocabulary used in modern philosophy, being removed from meaning. While Descartes uses linguistic discrepancies to question and almost reject the validity of language and divert all attention to internal processes, Cavell proposes more social interaction through conversation as a remedy. The conversation in question, however, is far more thoughtful and in-depth than the imitative language most individuals use on a daily basis. This requires knowing the implications of a dialogue and the hidden meaning of words beyond their literal meaning. “Intimate understanding is implicit understanding” (Cavell 12), which requires more effort and knowledge than understanding that simply derives from the surface level. By integrating this intensity and intimacy into speaking a language, people are able to build relationships with each other. In doing so, people not only alleviate the sense of alienation so prevalent in modern life, but also develop a better understanding of the nature of ideas and ethics, and the roles they play in everyday life. By participating in discussion, people are able to work collaboratively to develop strong definitions of conceptually controversial topics that are both "familiar and foreign" (Cavell xix), such as knowledge, morality, or justice. For Cavell, the answer as to the true essence of these themes comes not from an established place of heightened illumination, but rather from the depths of the ordinary, in which seemingly insignificant things are elevated, given attention and to importance in an effort. to develop a meaningful understanding of everyday life. Marx takes a different approach to solving the problem of alienation in modern life, but the source of the solution is similar: impactful change must begin with the common man, not those in positions of all economic power or particular policy. A communist revolution aimed at overthrowing the existing capitalist system, brought about by the proletarian working class, would radically alter the economic base on which the superstructure of political and social systems depends. All people would be brought together under the umbrella of the communist organization, no longer even allowing alienation to exist as a viable situation, with communism transforming all "existing conditions into conditions of unity." (Marx 189) However, an externality of camaraderie to this.