Karl Marx and Marxism

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Karl Marx and Marxism

• The Development of Scientific Socialism

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KARL MARX AND MARXISM

• student of Hegel and part of the anti-religious
  group The Young Hegelians
• received a PhD in Philosophy in 1841
• participated as a writer (Neue Rheinische
  Zeitung) during the Revolutions of 1848
• moved to London after the Revolutions and
  observed industrial Britain. This experience
  contributed to his key works -- DasKapital,
  Communist Manifesto, etc.
• established the International Workingmens
  Association in 1864 (First International)

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The Social Situation of the Time

• Crime, violence and social injustice are
  everywhere.
• Poverty, child labour, homelessness, malnutrition
  and disease are major social problems in most
  countries.
• Unsafe working conditions, low pay, worker
  exploitation.

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Marxs View of the State of Nature

• Humanity is distinguished from the animals by the
  ability to build and the intrinsic satisfaction
  gained from building
• Material reward is not the goal of labour.
  People seek subsistence and work in order to play
• Ideally, we tend to specialize in the things we
  feel best about doing, and those the community
  appreciates most
• There are no Natural Rights or Inherited Rights

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Marxist Theory Dialectic Materialism

• Marx borrowed the theory from Hegel
• Materialism Theory seeks to understand the world
  as it is, not as we perceive or think of it
  (idealism is based upon pure intellectual
  constructs ideology, god, religion, etc.) He was
  not a Utopian Socialist
• It is not consciousness that determines
  existence, but existence which determines
  consciousness

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Marxist Theory Dialectic Materialism

• Materialism has an economic base and a social
  superstructure (Feuerbach)

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Marxist Theory Dialectic Materialism

• Dialect is the process of change and development,
  with matter in motion -- interaction (thesis,
  anti-thesis, synthesis), conflict, and revolution

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Historical Determinism

• Marx believed that the past held the key to the
  future.
• Past economic and social developments
  conditionedfuture developments
• All history heretofore is the history of class
  struggle
• Stages of development -- Tribalism, Slavery
  (Plato), Feudalism (Hobbes), Capitalism (Smith),
  Communism (Marxs theoretical next stage)

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The Problem as Marx Sees It

• The capitalist world is divided between
  Bourgeoisie (owners of production) and
  Proletariat (workers)
• People are deceived by the socio-economic system
  into believing that satisfaction comes from the
  accumulation and consumption of material goods

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The Problem as Marx Sees It

• Materialism leads to alienation, the
  expropriation of resources, and the creation of
  classes
• Class distinctions invariably lead to
  exploitation (Kings exploit subjects, owners
  exploit workers) Surplus labour is kept by slave
  owners, kings and capitalists

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Philosophical Perspective

• While Rousseau claimed revolution was a duty in
  such circumstances, Marx claimed it was an
  inevitability Marx was an Empiricist,
  Pragmatist, and Realist
• Marx rejects any idea that does not fit with the
  reality of human existence
• Marx also rejects the idea of absolutes in
  morality and law Property rights and ownership
  are the basis of capitalist exploitation (You
  have no inalienable rights, not even the right to
  life so the Proletariat may eliminate the
  Bourgeoisie)

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The Solution

• Revolution to overthrow the exploiters of the
  Proletariat. As he starts his Communist
  Manifesto, workers of the world unite, you have
  nothing to lose but your chains.
• Public ownership of all material items
  eliminate private ownership which leads to
  alienation, inequality, etc.
• Dictatorship of the Proletariat The workers
  run everything There is no one left to exploit

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The Solution

• We all have one thing in common Labour. From
  each according to his (her) ability, to each
  according to his need.
• Universal World Government

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Final Thoughts

• Think of the crazy people who fought to
  eliminate inequality in any of its forms Christ,
  Confucius, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Nelson
  Mandela. What do they have in common?
• What makes Marx so different and so hated?
• Is it his focus on property, not spiritual or
  legal rights. What does that tells us about.us?