Chapter 6Karl Marx

KARL MARX (1818–1883)

Key Concepts Class Bourgeoisie Proletariat Forces and relations of production Capital Surplus value Alienation Labor theory of value Exploitation Class consciousness

The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.

(Marx and Engels 1848/1978:473)

Beginnings

•Born: Trier, Germany 1818

•Died: March 17th, 1883

•One of 9 children•Father: Lawyer from long line of rabbis

Videos about Marx

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ztVeUX8Hpo&feature=related

• Marxism made simple

• Do you know how to make a shirt?(guy on street)• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QbWbwj7-OE&feature=related

Biographical Sketch: Karl Marx•University career (1835-1841):

•History, Philosophy, and Law•Young Hegelians

•Academic ambitions ended•Berlin Ministry of Education blacklisted--due to radical views

Biographical Sketch: Karl Marx

•Early 1840s:Began friendship and collaboration with Friedrich Engels

•Marx and family died due to poverty and ill health (early 1880s)

Marx, his daughters, and Engels

Friedrich Engels (1820-1895)• Marx’s chief:

• Moral

• Financial

• Intellectual

• Emotional collaborator

• Son of mill owner in Manchester• (Heart of industrial revolution)

Friedrich Engels

•Had 2 things Marx lacked:

•Money

•Understanding of working class

Environment and Focus

• Reaction to dire economic and social conditions • Due to industrial revolution

• Theory: Not only to interpret the world, but also to change it

• Focus:• Economy• Classes• Forces of production

Materialism•Materialism=Material world, perceptible to senses

•Objective reality • Independent of mind or spirit

•Ideas arise•As products of material conditions

•“I labor (work), therefore I am.”

Materialism vs. Idealism

•Materialism->Opposite of Idealism

•Idealism: Subjective reality•Matter dependent on mind or spirit

•Mind or Spirit •Exists independently of matter

•“I think, therefore I am”

The Dialectic Process

Process of Dialectical Materialism

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9Cpuv4tSyo

•Each historical period’s mode of production--economy (thesis)

•Challenged by a set of social forces (anti-thesis)

•New mode of production (synthesis)

Dialectical Materialism

Economy

•Ways in which people satisfy their material needs •Food, clothing, shelter, etc.

•Production: Transform raw materials into things people use•Products

TR 10/13 Means of production &

Relations of production

•The Means of Production: •Land•Natural resources•Technology •Factories

Relations of Production

Social and technical relationships

•Among people as they •Use the means of production

•Relations between individuals•Between or among groups of people or classes

Mode of production

•Means of Production + Relations of Production= Mode of Production

•Mode of production changes • Primitive Communism• Feudalism• Capitalism• Socialism

•Cause of change:•Process of “dialectical materialism”

Economy: Basic Issues• What goods & services to produce?

• In what quantities?

• How scarce resources are allocated?

• How goods and services are distributed?

• What price should be charged for goods & services?

MW 10/15 Capitalism

• Natural resources and means of producing goods and services are privately owned

• Ideal capitalism: 3 Features

1. Private ownership of property

2. Pursuit of personal profit

3. Competition & choice

TR 10/16 Socialism

• Essential Industries & Services are:

• Publicly owned

• Democratically controlled

• Equal opportunity for all

• Equal benefit for all

Communism

•Means of production are owned by the people

•Private property does not exist

•Goods and services are shared equally

Species Being

Essence of creative nature• Humans live off nature (as do

other animals)

• Express “species being” through free, conscious activity

• Alienated labor makes work a means to existence

Alienation and Capitalism• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCOdHcRkd0E&feature=related

•Alienation:•Separation of people from aspects of their human nature

AlienationWorker Alienated from:

1. Products of labor

2. Process of production

3. Co-workers

4. Species-potential (species

being)

5. Self (self-estrangement)

Capitalism

•Benefits owners—profits and power

•Harms workers—Negates “species being”•Prevented from realizing human capacity for creative labor

•Inherently exploitative

•Leads to monopoly

Social Class

•Class: Relationship to means of production

•Class consciousness: •Recognize common relationship to means of production

Social Class

•False consciousness:

•Unable to recognize oppression & exploitation

• Incorrectly identify source of problems

Marx’s Model of Social Change

• Generate class consciousness—Awareness by working class of common relationship to means of production

The Communist Manifesto

• Manifesto is a “scientific prophecy” detailing the downfall of the capitalist class and the rise of the proletariat

• **The Communist Manifesto Cartoon• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KUl4yfABE4&feature=related

• Communist Smurfs• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qra0hlO6hZk&NR=1