Problem
Karl Marx and Nietzsche craft an interpretation of Western history that they then use to critique Western society in their present moment (mid-19th century) and predict Western society's future. Compare and contrast their interpretations of Western history, the criticism of mid-19th century Western society, and future predictions. Then evaluate their perspectives on society. In your response, be sure to do the following:
A. Explain Marx's class conflict view of history and how he understands his present era of capitalism.
B. Given how Marx understands history, what does he predict will happen in the future?
C. Explain Nietzsche's perspective of the historical development of morality and his present era through his notions of the genealogy of morality, master and slave morality, the death of God, and the rise of nihilism.
D. In light of nihilism's rise, Nietzche discusses two possible futures for Western society: the last man and the ubermensch. Explain these concepts and how they differ from one another.
E. In evaluating their perspectives, how insightful are their predictions for understanding our present moment in the 21st century?
a. In Marx's case, to what degree are we reaching a point where, because of capitalism's fatal flaws, it looks like western society will overthrow the capitalist order and move in the direction of socialism?
b. In Nietzsche's case, to what degree is nihilism present in western society? To what degree are the notions of the last man and ubermensch relevant to our current time?