Transcript New Ways of Thinking Chapter 9 Section 4 Terms, People, and Places           Thomas Malthus Jeremy Bentham utilitarianism socialism means of production Robert Owen Karl Marx communism proletariat social democracy.

New Ways of Thinking
Chapter 9 Section 4
Terms, People, and Places
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Thomas Malthus
Jeremy Bentham
utilitarianism
socialism
means of production
Robert Owen
Karl Marx
communism
proletariat
social democracy
Malthus Says:
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“The power of population is [far] greater
than the power of the Earth to produce
subsistence for man.”
Malthus looks at Population
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Throughout England, Thomas Malthus
saw the effects of the population
explosion.
In 1798 he published An Essay on the
Principle of Population
 He concludes that the population is growing
faster than we can sustain a food supply
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Lassiez Faire Economics: a Redux
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Review from Chapter 17:
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During the Enlightenment, physiocrats argued
that natural laws should be allowed to operate
without interference. As part of this
philosophy, they believed that government
should not interfere in the free operation of
the economy. In the early 1800s, middle-class
business leaders embraced this laissez-faire,
or “hands-off,” approach.
Malthus + Lassiez Faire
Malthus was a Lassiez Faire economist.
 Here is how he applied his theory of
population growth:
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Population was growing to outpace our
natural resources.
 We needed “death checks”
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 Things
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like war, disease and famine
Continued growth would cause the poor to
suffer, and eventually this suffering would
spread.
The Solution?
A Modest Proposal (the we should eat
babies essay) is an excellent example of
Malthusian thought.
 Malthus proposed the following solutions:
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Stop charitable handouts
 Stop vaccinations
 Stop medicating…..
 LET PEOPLE DIE
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Did People Believe him?
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Actually, Malthus had many followers
throughout the early 1800’s
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Especially as the factory system made
people’s lives worse.
Was He Correct?
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Actually, since we are all alive, his theory
has been proven wrong.
It was also disproved in the late 1800s-early
1900’s
 As the population continued to grow, the
supply of food continued to grow faster.
 As time passed, living conditions got better,
and people had began to have fewer children.
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Some Disagree..
How do we Keep from
Overpopulating?
Another Economist Agrees
In His “Iron Law of Wages” economist
David Ricardo argues that those who are
living in poverty will stay in poverty.
 Several union representatives were calling
out for wage increases to raise workers
from poverty, but Ricardo believes these
increases will do nothing.
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Why Increases are Doomed
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Ricardo’s argument is simple:
Those living in poverty have too many kids,
and any increase in wages will only help
cover necessities.
 Therefore wage increases only help eek out
survival, instead of raising you from rags to
riches.
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From Kill Everyone to….
….Save the Masses….
Utilitarians for Limited Government
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It all begins with Jeremy Bentham
A British philosopher and economist.
 He advocated the philosophy of
utilitarianism
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goal of society is the “greatest amount” of
good or happiness for the “greatest number” of its
citizens
When is it Used
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Bentham believed that all actions or laws
should be judged by their “utility”
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Does the law/action create more pleasure
than pain?
He like earlier enlightenment thinkers
valued individual freedoms over everything
else since freedom =happiness.
 However, the government should be
involved in some instances.
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Was he influential?
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Bentham was the primary influence of
British economist and philosopher John
Stuart Mill.
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Mill thought the government should step in to
increase the quality of life of the working
class.
Mill Says
“The only purpose for which power can be
rightfully exercised over any member of a
civilized community, against his will is to
prevent harm to others.”
Mill Alters the Definition of Utility
Mill did not believe that you should
increase your own happiness at the
expense of others.
 He believed that business and factory
owners had the ability to increase their
own happiness.
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The government should step in to ensure that
they didn’t do it at the expense of their
workers.
Mill vs Bentham
How can the Government offer
protection?
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The Government can do the following:
Offer voting rights to the working class
 Ensure legal reforms to increase workplace
reform.
 Remove restrictions on Unions
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Socialism
A New Economic Mode of
Thinking
You Have Two Cows…..
Capitalism
CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You
sell one and buy a bull.
 CAPITALISM -- AMERICAN: You have
two cows. You sell one of them, and buy a
bull. The cow and bull have a great love
life; you sell the movie rights to Hollywood.
Then you go into real estate.
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Socialism
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SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government
takes one of them and gives it to your neighbor.
BUREAUCRATIC: You have two cows. The government
takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's
cows. They are cared for by ex-chicken farmers. You
have to take care of the chickens the government took
from the chicken farmers. The government gives you as
much milk and eggs as the regulations say you should
need.
PURE: You have two cows. The government takes them
and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. You
have to take care of all the cows. The government gives
you as much milk as you need.
Socialism Emerges
Many lassiez faire economists praised
individual rights through a system of
capital.
 Many competing theorists believed that
the drive to make money through the
capitalist system created most of the
problems they were facing.
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Their Thoughts?
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These radical thinkers proposed the
system of socialism
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The people as a whole rather than private
individuals would own and operate the means
of production.
 Farms,
factories, railways and other large
businesses that produced and distributed goods.
Socialist Dreamers?
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Many socialists established their own
communities.
In these communities, everyone shared all of
the work and shared ownership of the
property.
 In these communities, there was no difference
between rich and poor
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Do these Dreamers get a name?
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These early socialists are referred to as
Utopians
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One who believes in the perfectibility of
human society The name suggested that they
were impractical dreamers.
One notable Utopian was Robert Owen
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He built his own model community in New
Lanark, Scotland
A Famous Perspective on A
Perfect World
Robert Owen the Man
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Owen was born into poverty, who rose to
riches by owning his own mill.
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He was different, he refused to use child
labor.
He also called for laws to limit Child Labor
and encouraged Labor Unions to organize.
Class Struggles
And who will Explain it?
Karl Marx…..If He Cant do it No
One Can…
Marx’s Philosophy
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Karl Marx was a German philosopher
Marx formulated his philosophy in reaction to the
Utopians, he thought they were too idealistic.
He created the theory of Scientific socialism
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A new way of looking at history scientifically.
He began to formulate his theory with another
German socialist by the name of Friedrich
Engels.
More Cows
Communism
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COMMUNISM: You have two cows. The
government takes both of them and gives you
part of the milk.
COMMUNISM: You have two cows. The
government takes both cows. The government
sells the milk in government stores. You can't
afford the milk. You wither away.
COMMUNISM: You have two cows. The state
takes both, and gives you a little milk ... once.
COMMUNISM: You have two cows. The
government takes both and gives you spoiled
milk.
Maybe this will Help
Communism-For Real
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In 1848 Marx and Engles published The
Communist Manifesto, where they
established their theory of Communism.
A form of socialism that eliminates social
classes.
 All means of production would belong to the
community.
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The Communist Manifesto
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Marx believes that economics is the
driving force in history.
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What examples can you think of that proves
this theory true?
History is really a tale of struggles
between the “haves” and the “have-nots”
Haves = bourgeoisie (Upper and Middle
Class)
 Have-Nots = proletariat (working class)
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The end goal of Communism?
In the epic battle of bourgeoisie v.
proletariat, the proletariat would win.
 The proletariat would then build a
communist society.
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Which would, in turn, end all of the world’s
problems
He believed workers from all countries
must “unite!”
Marxism in the Future.
Marxism gained popularity throughout the
world.
 Many leaders of reform movements
believed that power should be held by
workers, not business owners.
 Marx’s ideas would never be practiced as
he had envisioned.
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Marxism Flourishes
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In the 1860’s Germany adopted Marxist
beliefs to form a social democracy
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A gradual transition from capitalism to
socialism, instead a violent overthrow of
capitalism
Russians also adopted Marxist beliefs.
This inspired the Russian revolution of 1917
 Many other revolutionaries would turn to
Marxist ideas as well.
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Marxism Loses Appeal
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As time passes, many Marxist
governments fail, thus showing flaws in
Marx’s arguments.
He predicted that workers would unite across
borders.
 However, nationalism would win over the
working class’ hearts.
 Even through the end of the 20th century, few
communist governments remain, but many
nations still embrace free-market capitalism.
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