The Destiny of Class

     There is an idea running rampant through the minds of the unsuspecting that shreds apart virtually any inkling of social connectivity: class. This plague of separation is the primary cause for most of the world’s economic and social disasters. Throughout the history of Humankind, we have witnessed unimaginable, terrible decimations of entire populations for being deemed unworthy of acknowledgement by others. “The history of all hitherto existing society,” Karl Marx asserts, “is the history of class struggles.” Class may have determined the progression, though, not necessarily the destiny, of Humankind, but it will only continue to unless we change our understanding of the subject. Closing in on the end of the twenty-first century’s premier decade, it is a wonder that class is still a factor in modern society. How have we, then, with the technological and intellectual progression we have made thus far, managed to continue separating ourselves from each other? Have we allowed a simple abstraction of truth to determine a person’s so-called destiny —that a person’s standing in society is based on an imaginary, monetary hierarchal system? It is my understanding that the predicament society faces is ignorance; for, it is knowledge that ultimately determines one’s destiny, not class. If we choose to let it, it is true that class will determine the destiny of many people; but is it not also true that the more knowledgeable people become as a whole, the less likely it is those people will allow the continuance of indecency to each other and to Humankind? The latter of these opposing positions will be my argumentative thesis on this topic.

     What is class? Quite simply it is a social ranking system in which people are divided into a number of categories, usually upper, middle and lower, based on certain characteristics, or attributes, including the most prominent in modern society—financial standing. Considering that there are nearly seven billion other people on Earth just like you and me, it is striking that so many are over-indulged by such a figment of the imagination. When money is taken out of the equation and replaced by beneficial contributions to a societal whole, class bears absolutely no relevance in regards to a line from a passage written by Max Ehrmann, called Desiderata; “If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.” We can, however, overcome this class subjection if we simply make this realization as a global society. Until that day comes, or some catastrophe forces us into change, incivility will remain a prominent inhibiting factor in our quest towards a global Unity.

     Human trafficking is perhaps the most heinous of these indecencies. It is depressing thinking about and knowing that thousands of men, women and even children every year are bought and sold into slavery. In this particular situation, maybe Marx was right when he stated, “Man makes his own history, but he does not make it out of the whole cloth; he does not make it out of conditions chosen by himself, but out of such as he finds close at hand.” Or, was he? Again, we should examine the ignorance, or even outright neglect, by global society on a matter that allows such atrocities. If society becomes more educated and knowledgeable, then class structure has an extremely good chance of dissolving altogether without the threat of economic collapse. Until we collectively understand that class and value are nothing more than intangible, negligible concepts, which are two of the underlying factors that inhibit our ability for positive progression, we may never advance beyond the confines of the imagination into the only realm that is truly of any worth—knowledge. How can we be so absorbed by the notion that monetary value has the ability of being placed on Human lives? If the constant division of people through these hierarchal class structures was abated, society could flourish like never before. In terms of feasibility, Unity almost certainly ensures collective advancement.

     Free will, or the ability inherent in every conscience being to make choices that determine life progression, is probably the best example of proving that class does not necessarily determine one’s destiny. It is true that one cannot choose what class he or she is born into. However, one can choose, through free will, the way to live; leaving open the possibility of curtailing the influence class might have on such decisions. In Michael Apted’s “49 Up” documentary, which, beginning in 1964, examines the lives of fourteen British students every seven years, the best supporting evidence for this view would have to be Neil Hughes’ experience. From a child living in the suburbs, dreaming of going to Oxford, to dropping out of Aberdeen at twenty-one with aspirations of becoming politically active, to eventually becoming homeless at age twenty-eight, he says, “If I was living…in suburbia, I’d be so miserable, I’d feel like cutting my throat.” All hope seemed lost for Neil at age thirty-five who was living on the Shetland Islands in a council estate. “It’s an environment which sustains me…,” he proclaims, looking as though he was in a complete daze and desperate for a change. Only seven years later, by age forty-two, Neil had completely turned his life around, moved to London and was serving on Hackney Council. Finally, at age forty-nine, he moved to Cumbria, England, where he became a member of the District Council there and, at the time of the film, was running for a seat on the County Council as a liberal Democrat. When asked what the chances were of winning the seat, he simply replied, “I’m doing my best.” Of course, much of the details of how his life progressed in that manner were not shown, but we can still infer that against all odds, he pulled through in the end and proved everyone whom believes that class determines destiny completely wrong.

     Another shining example from the “49 Up” series would be that of Bruce Balden’s life. He grew up in a relatively upper class situation, yet declared his desire to help people at an early age. Between ages twenty-one and twenty-eighth, Bruce realized this dream, becoming a missionary and giving his time to teaching students in impoverished parts of the globe. Upon his return, he decided to take the separation from his so-called class one step further and began working in the inner-city schools, which Rogert Ebert exclaims, “were a contrast to his upper-class background.” This, again, proves that class remains irrelevant in determining destiny.

     Although there are numerous reasons to back up this position, many believe otherwise, claiming that class is an integral part of society. Removing this distinguishing factor would mean removing the structural foundation on which society exists and prospers. My rebuttal to those cynics is that this purported foundation is undoubtedly crumbling and faces total collapse unless we change our ways. Due to this segregation of class, prosperity remains relative and is not equally available to every Citizen. Pressure is building between the classes and if we do not intervene, eliminating this slippery slope, then we are destined for an easily avoidable self-destruction. Another refutation would be that with such a large chasm in the standards of living between the classes, an attempt at assimilation would surely incite anger and hostility in individuals not accustomed to others’ ways. To this, I can say nothing more than it is one of the most pathetic attempts of a cop-out that I can think of to doubt the benevolent essence of Humankind. Finally, one might be inclined to proclaim that businesses would fall apart, economies would be in shambles and lives would be devastated because no one would want to take orders from anyone else. This one is probably the hardest to form a rebuttal from, but, nonetheless, there surely is one. The problem lies in the way our hierarchal chain-of-command is referred to as a direct indication of class ranking. Class, which is closely related to decision-making power in these systems, should no longer be used to determine a person’s capabilities in taking on responsibility. Contrary to popular belief, it is not class that determines such a trait. That quality can only be attributed to knowledge and the understanding of how to apply that knowledge. So, instead of using this fallacy of class divisions to conduct business, maybe we should come up with an entirely new term, such as Structural Responsibilities, to describe these different levels of obligation. Doing so would ensure that businesses continue to flourish and would probably eliminate all resentment surrounding the ideas of promotion and career advancement.

     An extremely long, potholed road lies ahead of us. Whether one would like to believe it or not, knowledge is the cure-all to nearly every single one of society’s problems. The deprivation of access to education is absolutely unacceptable. Just take a look at the history of societies from all over the world. People and cultures have, for millennia, chosen to segregate, suppress and annihilate others by relinquishing them of any means to advance. It seems as though people are afraid of change because it is easier to remain in routine rather than break it. There is a maxim that resonates in my mind that I would like to remind people of. It is that the only thing permanent is change itself. We must change if we are to truly propel ourselves into a future of Unity and advancement. If we continue down the current path of separation, greed, power and impudence, we are bound for failure and Annihilation. Words are extremely persuasive tools in communicating the importance of education and knowledge. There have been many futuristic, globally concerned and innovative thinkers through the whole of our history, but if I could choose one quote to sum up the message that I am trying to convey here, it would have to be from Robert Frost when he wrote, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”