5. What ideas from Marx remain relevant to contemporary society and what ideas m

Question

5. What ideas from Marx remain relevant to contemporary society and what ideas must be discarded in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Marxist societies of Eastern Europe? What might Weber have said about the last century of global history?

6.

How optimistic or pessimistic are you? Do you think societies are getting better or worse? Why?

7.

What are the characteristics of a rational social organization? In what ways has advancing rationality improved people’s lives? How has it made them worse? How would Weber have answered these questions?

8.

What is Durkheim’s “anomie” all about? How can modern societies reduce the level of anomie? Can this be done without limiting people’s individual freedom?

9.

Provide examples of the bonds of mechanical solidarity in today’s society. What about bonds of organic solidarity?

Explanation / Answer

Q2 is answered below.

I am more optimistic than pessimistic about the future of our world and society. This is because of the income inequality and poverty and living standard trends seen by our society over the past decades. Going by the World Bank data, not only has income inequality declined all over the world, but the number of poor has also declined over the years, starting 2001. Nearly three-quarters of the world’s adults own under $10,000 in wealth. The United States has become home to more than twice as many adults with at least $50 million in assets as the next five nations with the most super rich combined. The living standards of the people have increased too along with the GDPs of the countries. The only problem from a social point of view I see today is terrorism. Looking at the recent attacks happening all over the world, I think the need of the hour is not measuring or comparing incomes and outputs, but tackling terrorism globally, which is a major threat to world peace.

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