The Two Faces of one Coin

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(Marat P.29) While Sade dismisses the struggle and suffering of the working class as human nature, in turn leading to the cyclical pattern of revolution, Marat claims it is the clinging to dead ideas that creates this same pattern. These cycles need to be broken by a true revolution and wealth and prosperity to be spread equally. Marat however warns us misleading results caused by revolution. He says “It becomes clear that the Revolution was fought for merchants and shopkeepers, the bourgeoisie; a new victorious class and underneath them ourselves who always lose the lottery” (Marat P. 42) For Marat this revolution is just a start. True social and economic change cannot come without going to the most extreme. “Don’t imagine that you can beat them without using force” (Marat P.55) Marat tells his audience to not be fooled by these false notions; there is always some aristocrat or wealthy merchant to take the place of a fallen one.

We can see Marat’s ideas relate to us today. In almost every aspect of our global society we hear of social changes and and reforms only to find out that people are more and more resistant towards progress. There are countless examples of racism and sexism in our modern workplace and our everyday lives. Marat claims that people in power in any degree will try to hold on to power and their riches. Even if they have to give up some power Marat claims they only do it because at the end they will regain control at a later time. “The rich will never give away their property of their own free will; And if by force of circumstances they have to give up just a little here and there they do it only because they know they’ll soon win it back again” (Marat P. 55) While Sade wouldn’t disagree with Marat, it would be for different reasons. Sade would claim that humans are greedy due to the core of their nature, while Marat would say that humans have been conditioned to be greedy and must abolish all of the traditional methods and remove the old ways of thinking to give people a chance at equality. “And the children repeated the lesson they believed it as anyone believes what they hear over and over again” (Marat P.27). Marat would claim that all outdated ways of hold the progress of humans and must be eliminated. “We can’t begin to build till we’ve burnt the old building down” (Marat P. 58) Marat tells us that our need for material things brings us into despair and inequality for the people. He would claim that the values of humans are not based on internal greed but rather generations of conditioning from exploitation and servitude for the upper class.

We learn through the nature of Sade and Marat that they are at the opposite ends of the extreme spectrum. Sade advocates the Nihilistic lifestyle while Marat pursues progress and true evolution for humankind. Sade does not pretend to have ulterior motives. He remains true to his beliefs and self worship. Marat also does not waiver from his philosophies. Marat is more correct in his pursuit of revolution and equality for all. Many great thinkers like Fromm, Satre, Einstein and Lenin would agree with Marat, though the likes of Nietzsche, Freud, and Camus would agree with Sade. Sade is simply not correct in his way of life. Sade’s pleasures are for his own, while Marat thinks of the greater good of all humankind.

References

Weiss, Peter, and Richard Peaslee. The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton under the Direction of the Marquis De Sade. New York: Atheneum, 1965. Print.

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