Topics for Today: Marxism and Dependency Theory

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Topics for Today Marxism and Dependency Theory

1. General principles of Marxist thought.
2. Marxist theory on imperialist war.
3. Neo-Marxist explanations for Third World
   underdevelopment.

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Marxim
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Introduction to Marxism

• Karl Marx, Communist Manifesto (1848).
• Ontology economic classes main actors.
• Causal argument Class conflict ? social/
  political change.
• System of economic production ? institutional
  ideological structures.

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Introduction to Marxism

• Impoverishment growth of proletariat ?
  proletarian overthrow of bourgeoisie.
• Capitalism exploitation of workers by
  bourgeoisie.
• Pay subsistence wage and pocket surplus.

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Introduction to Marxism

• Teleological theory cycle of change as
  inevitable ? classless societies and peace.

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Marxist IR ApproachesTheory of Imperialist War

• John Hobson
• Imperialism from problems in capitalism.
• Bourgeoisie acquires profits system produces
  goods.
• Eventually low-wage working class cant afford
  goods.
• Crisis of overproduction underconsumption ?
  Need to invest in overseas production to maintain
  profits.

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Marxist IR ApproachesTheory of Imperialist War

• Lenin
• Inter-state wars caused by imperialist expansion.
• Expansion to colonies necessary for capitalist
  survival (stave off workers revolution).
• Eventually all territory grabbed and capitalist
  states must fight one another to reallocate.

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Critiques of Marxist Theory of Imperialism

1. Empirical events
2. How to explain Soviet expansionism conflicts
   among Communist states?
3. Most advanced capitalist states should be most
   imperialist but not.
4. Few colonies profitable to colonizers.
5. Most wars in capitalist era not for economic
   motives.

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Critiques of Marxist Theory of Imperialism

1. Theoretical attacks
2. Economic drive for imperialism only ephemeral
   real timeless reason is hunger for power.
3. Business bourgeoisie not main foreign policy
   decisionmakers.
4. Capitalist class not usually pro-war.

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Neo-Marxist IR ApproachesDependency Theory

1. Flourished in 1970s.
2. International system has own class structure
   metropolis (exploiters) and satellite (exploited).

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Marxist IR ApproachesDependency Theory

• Andre Gunder Frank
• Hypotheses
• Metropoles develop satellites underdevelop.
• Satellites develop when ties with metropoles
  weakest.
• Most underdeveloped regions today had closest
  ties to metropole in past.

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Marxist IR ApproachesDependency Theory

• How metropoles subjugate satellites
• Foreign investment in poor countries limited to
  extractive industries.
• Westernizing domestic elites in poor countries.

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Marxist IR ApproachesDependency Theory

• Critique of modernization theory.
• Modernization theory 3rd world must emulate
  Western societies to develop.
• Problem is bad traditions.
• Development Westernization.

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Marxist IR ApproachesCritiques of Dependency
Theory

1. No direct relationship between states reliance
   on extractive industries and poverty/
   underdevelopment.
2. States are dependent because underdeveloped not
   vice versa.
3. Why do some satellite states escape (NICs)?