Civilization from “The Condition of the Working Class in England”

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

The state of affairs in Victorian England has been documented through various works of literature. One of these works is Friedrich Engels’ book “The Condition of the Working Class in England”. This book was originally written in German. Engels wrote this book when he was staying in Manchester for two years between 1842 and 1844. The book contains observations made by Engels when in Manchester, a town that was then at the heart of Industrial Revolution.

The author’s main argument in this book is that Industrial Revolution degraded the lives of the working class instead of uplifting them. The book offers proof of this argument by quoting facts such as disease prevalence, death rate, and squalid living conditions. Engels authorized the publishing of the English version of this book in 1887. From that time, “The Condition of the Working Class in England” has been used as a tool for studying English history.

Engels wrote the book when he was a “visitor” in Manchester. This makes his observations historically accurate and eliminates prejudice due to his non-partisan nature. This book reveals many aspects of life in England during the start of Industrial Revolution. The book was initially meant for a German audience and this gives the book a more universal outlook. This paper will explore three aspects of civilization that are reflected in Engel’s book. These three aspects include society, economy, and health.

According to Engels, most of the people who were living in Manchester during the period between 1842 to1844 had moved into this area as a result of the Industrial Revolution. In the process of this rural to urban migration, the people succeeded in forming a society with its own unique aspects. Engels focuses mostly on the working class society of this civilization. In his view, the level of humanity in this society is very low.

For instance, the author questions what qualifies as murder in this society and he continues to offer a definition. According to Engels, murder occurs when an assailant knows in advance that a certain act would result in a fatal injury. Therefore, the working conditions in this society would fit this description according to Engels. This society has no sense of accountability especially when it comes to the living conditions of working class citizens.

According to the book, the “society in England daily and hourly commits what the working-men’s organs, with perfect correctness, characterize as social murder” (Engels 107).

This lack of accountability is the author’s chief concern about this society. The book also implies that lack of any social planning prompted people to come up with their own sense of order. For example, the people came up with an effective way of utilizing the narrow streets by ensuring that people going in a certain direction only stayed in a particular side of the pavement.

The industrial revolution is known for having major effects on the economy. Although Engels’ book dwells mostly on the social aspects of this revolution, it also contains several references to economic factors. The book mostly focuses on the economic gap between the working class and the middle class.

Engel accuses the Manchester City Authority of hypocritically planning the city. According to the book, the city is planned in such a manner that the middle class is shielded from witnessing the suffering of the working class. The book also accuses the Industrial revolution of bringing forth the “urban poor” category of the population. In this civilization, the urban poor were the main tools used by capitalists to advance their goals.

The book notes that capitalism has taken a toll on this civilization. The author notes that “the stronger tread the weaker underfoot, and that the powerful few, the capitalists, seize everything for themselves” (Engels 48). According to the book, during this period workers often received wages that usually went from “hand to mouth”.

Moreover, the working class had no ability to save money for future use. However, the middle and top class were contented with formulating economic policies on behalf of the whole population. The economic inadequacies of the working class were reflected in the type of clothes they wore, the food they ate, and their living conditions.

All civilizations have to deal with specific health issues. These health issues are always accompanied by other conditions such as technology, level of knowledge, climatic conditions, among other factors. In “The Conditions of the Working Class in England”, the author attributes health factors to poor nourishment.

This civilization was plagued by a working class that received inadequate nourishment. The author notes that children from the working class were susceptible to diseases due to malnourishment. The book states that “mortality in the streets of the second class is 18% greater, and in the streets of the third class is 68% greater than that of the streets of the first class” (Engels 117). Health issues in this civilization seem to coincide with the class system.

This book is very beneficial when it comes to understanding the English civilization between 1842 and 1844. Most of this civilization is shaped by the Industrial revolution. Engels puts into perspective the societal, economic, and health aspects of this civilization. In addition, he accomplishes this without apparent bias or partisanship.

Works Cited

Engels, Friedrich. The Condition of the Working Class in England, London: Oxford University Press, 1993. Print.

Click Here To Order Now!

Civilization from “The Condition of the Working Class in England”

Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?

We have qualified writers to help you.

We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.

You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)