Transcript Karl Marx and Marxism - Bishop Amat Memorial High School

IB GLOBAL POLITICS
Karl Marx and Marxism
Biography
• Born MAY 5,1818 in Trier, Germany
• Studied philosophy and economics in
Berlin
• Earned his living as a journalist
• Died MARCH 14,1883 in London having
only written 3 of the planned 8 volumes
of Das Kapital.
Das Kapital
The Capital, in the
English translation is
an extensive treatise
on political economy
and the theory of
exploitation.
The Communist
Manifesto –Political
template for the theory
of class.
The Manifesto
suggested a course
of action for a
proletarian
revolution to
overthrow capitalism
and, eventually, to
bring about a
classless society
Marx’s Theory of Class and
Exploitation
Major themes
1. Theory of Exploitation
2. Classes in history
3. How many classes
Labor Theory of Value
Marx radicalizes Adam Smith ‘s theory. All value is created by
Labor (example - fetch water).
What is value: C+V+S [constant capital + variable capital +
surplus]
What is constant capital? (Investments, accumulated labor)
Variable capital = wages
Surplus product
For Marx the essence of exploitation is that the capitalists will
use the labor and pocket the surplus.
Rate of profit is S divided by C+ V
From petty commodity production
to capitalist mode of production
Petty Commodity Production – C-M-C
C = Commodity M=Market C=Commodity
This is commercial society, not capitalism. (Early 19th Century
America) Purpose is satisfaction of needs. Money is a mediator for
exchange of needs.
Capitalist Production M-C-M’
Cycle starts with MONEY. Produce COMMODITIES. To make more
MONEY. (Altruistic money bags)
Competitive market place will create more money by investing in new
technology to make more money. Not a satisfaction of needs but to
generate profit, capitalists strive for it by competitions with fellow
capitalists.
Labor power as a commodity
What does the wage laborer sell: it is the amount of labor during
the production process.
Labor power, the capacity to work.
The way equal values are exchanged on the labor market –
the capitalist does not cheat, pays the price for labor.
What is the price: costs of reproduction (how much to reproduce
that labor power. (Compensated equally for labor capacity)
Labor power is a unique commodity, which has the capacity to
produce higher value than its own value when consumed. (work longer for surplus)
Exploitation for Marx is not evil, inevitable in capitalism. (This is why he hates
capitalism for how the system works)
Materialism & Dialectic
• Materialism - Belief that nothing exists
apart from matter (material).
• Dialectic – conflict is the basic law of
nature.
• Marx ( History & economics) and Engels
(science & philosophy) set out to
interpret the world in terms of Dialectical
Materialism – all development in the
world arises out of conflict.
Marx
•Marx theorized the Industrialized nations of
Europe would undergo bloody revolutions as a
result of the dialectical principle of conflict.
•The working class oppressed by the capitalists
would rise up and seize power.
•After which a communist system would be
established. The concepts of religion, morality,
and the family would have no place in a
communist society.
• Marxism – Dialectical Materialism, Critique of
Capitalism, advocacy of a proletarian
revolution.
• Communism is a political philosophy which
argues for a classless and stateless society
structured upon a communal ownership of
property.
• Socialism- Political theory advocating public
or common ownership and cooperative
management of the means of production and
an allocation of the resources.
Conflict theory
• All societies are divided into two groups
– Owners
– Workers
• Western society is capitalist.
– Owners are bourgeoisie (as a new class,
transformed occupation – (Doctors,
Lawyers, Priests – positions of honor to
income position)
– Workers are proletarians (as a class)
A History of Class Struggle
Stage
Primitive
Communism
Slavery
Oppressing
Class
Oppressed
Class
No classes
Slave Owners
Slaves
Feudalism
Landowners
Serfs
Capitalism
Bourgeoisie
Proletariat
Socialism
State Managers Workers
Communism
No Classes
Marx’s first mistake - This is wrong because it does
not fit the his theory of exploitation. If exploitation is
unique for a capitalist mode of production.
Contradiction.
Empirically incorrect.
Did the slaves overthrow the slave owners. – South?
Capitalist of the North initiated a war against the
South. Slaves did not become the dominate class.
Did the proletarians overthrow the bourgeoisie? China
1949. Peasant masses under Mao, Russia 1917.
Marx and The Revolution
• Marx predicted that wealth would
belong to fewer and fewer people.
• The workers would eventually realize
their position and overthrow the
bourgeoisie
• There would be an armed revolution
which would begin in Britain.
• It would happen in the very near future.
What happened?
• The biggest problem with Marxism is that the
predicted revolution never occurred in the
form he said it would.
• People are not poorer.
• Wealth is not concentrated in the hands of a
few rich people.
• Britain hasn’t had a Communist revolution yet
and is not likely to in the near future.
• As a political approach Marxism has failed as
a historical alternative to liberal capitalism.
• End of the U.S.S.R. signified the end of
Marxism.
What’s wrong with Marx?
1. Reforms came through the government so the gap between the rich and poor
did not reach the extremes predicted by Marx.
1a. The workers never ruled. They never overcame the proletariat. The workers
were never the vanguard of the Communist Party.
2. Working conditions improved rather than getting worse.
3. The middle class grew rather than shrank. Workingmen were able to enjoy the
fruits of their labor as wages rose and prices declined. Increase in self –
employment, and the white collar worker. Am I exploited?
4. Revolutions occurred in non-industrial countries and became a means to
industrialize rather than occurring in the industrial states as a response to the
conditions created by industry.
5. There are other sources of conflict (ideals, values, religion) than just class
conflict over property.
5a. The absence of private property would abolish corruption, the opposite
happened – barter, favors, embezzlement.
6. Without profits or economic incentives (encouragement) there is little reason
for workers to work hard. All communist countries today use some kind of
economic incentives (higher pay, healthcare, etc.) to get their people to work
hard.
7. No country has a classless society, Bogus legitimacy. Even if everyone
received the same amount of money, members of the Communist Party
(Nomenklatura) have more benefits than others, athletes and scientists have
more prestige, etc. Re-Read 1989 pp14-21.
O,V,P,L
• “The worker of the world has nothing to
lose, but their chains, workers of the
world unite.” Karl Mark 1848, Chapter 4
Communist Manifesto.
Conclusion
• Marxism is a political philosophy – your
views are your own.
• Marxism is an understanding of the
nature of social relationships which you
are expected to evaluate. Recognize
that it has strengths and weaknesses as
a tool of understanding.
The end
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