marx (and engels!) lsj 362 fall 2007. karl marx (1818- 1883) lived at time of great social...

Marx (and Engels!)Marx (and Engels!)

LSJ 362 Fall 2007LSJ 362 Fall 2007

Karl Marx (1818-1883)

Lived at time of great social transformations in Europe

Active in 1840’s political movement for expansion of democratic liberties in Germany forced to leave Germany went to France forced to leave France after revolutionary fervor of 1848 wound up in London in 1851

Friedrich Engels (1820-1895)

Marx’s chief moral, financial, intellectual, and emotional collaborator

Son of a mill owner in Manchester (heart of industrial revolution)

Had 2 things Marx lacked:

•money

•at times, superior understanding of what working class life was really like

An overview of marxismAn overview of marxism

Marx and Engels writing at time of industrial Marx and Engels writing at time of industrial revolution, transitions away from feudal pastrevolution, transitions away from feudal past

To understand Marx, must understand the To understand Marx, must understand the transitions he lived and predicted: transitions he lived and predicted: feudalismfeudalism capitalismcapitalism communismcommunism

Marx talks about these systems as “Marx talks about these systems as “modes modes of productionof production” ( a system by which society ” ( a system by which society determines determines who does whatwho does what and and who gets who gets whatwhat))

What is the feudal mode of What is the feudal mode of production?production?

Two classes: Two classes: lordslords and and serfsserfs

Lords control means of production (land); Lords control means of production (land); serfs labor to produce agricultural productsserfs labor to produce agricultural products

Serfs bound to land, not freeSerfs bound to land, not free

Serfs not paid in wages, merely allowed to Serfs not paid in wages, merely allowed to subsist on lord’s land in exchange for subsist on lord’s land in exchange for tribute of product (crops), labor, or moneytribute of product (crops), labor, or money


MONMON

Work for Work for subsistesubsistencence

TUESTUES


WEDSWEDS


THURSTHURS


FRIFRI

Work for Work for lordlord

SATSAT

Work for Work for lordlord

SURPLUS LABOR

• Serfs work land a certain number of days for own subsistence, and a certain number of days for lord; lord lives off serfs’ surplus labor


Under feudalism, surplus labor Under feudalism, surplus labor generated by serf and given to lord is generated by serf and given to lord is visiblevisible

What is the capitalist mode of What is the capitalist mode of production?production?

Two classes: Two classes: bourgeoisiebourgeoisie (capitalists) and (capitalists) and proletariat proletariat (workers)(workers)

Bourgeoisie controls means of production Bourgeoisie controls means of production (factories); proletariat works in factories for (factories); proletariat works in factories for wageswages

Workers free to work for different employersWorkers free to work for different employers The value of the worker’s labor (what s/he The value of the worker’s labor (what s/he

produces) is greater than the value of his produces) is greater than the value of his wages (what s/he is paid); this is the wages (what s/he is paid); this is the capitalist’s capitalist’s profitprofit

What is the capitalist mode of What is the capitalist mode of production?production?

For example, if you work at McDonalds:For example, if you work at McDonalds: You make $50/day You make $50/day You use $100 worth of raw ingredients and You use $100 worth of raw ingredients and

overhead overhead You make $300 worth of burgers You make $300 worth of burgers The owner is paying you $50, but your labor The owner is paying you $50, but your labor

turned $100 of materials into $300 of sales turned $100 of materials into $300 of sales So the owner (capitalist) extracted $150 of So the owner (capitalist) extracted $150 of

profit or ‘surplus value’ from your laborprofit or ‘surplus value’ from your labor

How is this vision different How is this vision different from Adam Smith’s?from Adam Smith’s?

1.1. Questioned the narrative of capitalist Questioned the narrative of capitalist “progress” – were people really better off “progress” – were people really better off than in the past?than in the past?

Smith (and many others) had predicted that Smith (and many others) had predicted that industrialization industrialization universal opulenceuniversal opulence and and greater human freedomgreater human freedom

By contrast, Marx and Engels saw By contrast, Marx and Engels saw industrialization giving rise to industrialization giving rise to universal universal squalorsqualor, except for a small minority , except for a small minority

Marx and Engels also questioned whether Marx and Engels also questioned whether workers were really “free”: could change workers were really “free”: could change employers, but were forced to work for a wage in employers, but were forced to work for a wage in order to survive; order to survive; not slaves to individual masters, not slaves to individual masters, but slaves to the capitalist systembut slaves to the capitalist system


2. Said capitalism based on theft, not 2. Said capitalism based on theft, not mutually beneficial exchangemutually beneficial exchange

Under capitalism, Marx and Engels said, Under capitalism, Marx and Engels said, surplus laborsurplus labor is invisible is invisible, because worker , because worker never knows exact value of his/her labor, never knows exact value of his/her labor, works for hourly wage but cannot tell how works for hourly wage but cannot tell how much of his/her labor is really unpaid much of his/her labor is really unpaid

The capitalist system is The capitalist system is inherently inherently exploitative of workersexploitative of workers, because capitalists , because capitalists will always seek greater profit by squeezing will always seek greater profit by squeezing more and more surplus labor out of workers more and more surplus labor out of workers ever-increasing exploitation ever-increasing exploitation


3. Agreed that in capitalism, markets 3. Agreed that in capitalism, markets bound to expand, but thought this bound to expand, but thought this would eventually lead to its would eventually lead to its downfalldownfall

the capitalist system sows the seeds of the capitalist system sows the seeds of its own destruction (its own destruction (Communist Communist ManifestoManifesto))

Key concepts in Marxism:Key concepts in Marxism:historical materialismhistorical materialism

Hegel said humans uniquely able to Hegel said humans uniquely able to reason and reflect, and over time the reason and reflect, and over time the unfolding of the human spirit was unfolding of the human spirit was leading to ever-greater development leading to ever-greater development of human consciousnessof human consciousness

Marx, Engels criticized this Marx, Engels criticized this celebration of ideas unmatched by celebration of ideas unmatched by real, material changesreal, material changes


““The The materialist conception of historymaterialist conception of history starts from starts from the proposition that the production of the means to the proposition that the production of the means to support human life and, next to production, the support human life and, next to production, the exchange of things produced, is the basis of all exchange of things produced, is the basis of all social structure; that in every society that has social structure; that in every society that has appeared in history, the manner in which wealth is appeared in history, the manner in which wealth is distributed and society divided into classes or distributed and society divided into classes or orders is dependent upon what is produced, how it orders is dependent upon what is produced, how it is produced, and how the products are exchanged. is produced, and how the products are exchanged. From this point of view, From this point of view, the final causes of all social the final causes of all social changes and political revolutions are to be sought, changes and political revolutions are to be sought, not in men's brains, not in men's better insights into not in men's brains, not in men's better insights into eternal truth and justice, but in changes in the eternal truth and justice, but in changes in the modes of production and exchangemodes of production and exchange.” From .” From Socialism: Utopian and Scientific Socialism: Utopian and Scientific (written entirely by (written entirely by Engels after Marx’s death)Engels after Marx’s death)


Ideas always reflect a material basisIdeas always reflect a material basis For Marx and Engels, For Marx and Engels, ideology ideology is an is an illusoryillusory set of ideas which dominate set of ideas which dominate in societyin society For example: German ideology: illusory For example: German ideology: illusory

notion that ideas make history, historical notion that ideas make history, historical change is propelled by new ideaschange is propelled by new ideas


Another way this concept is Another way this concept is expressed is through notion of expressed is through notion of basebase and and superstructuresuperstructure

Social reality is grounded in an Social reality is grounded in an economic baseeconomic base (who does what, who (who does what, who gets what); built upon this is a gets what); built upon this is a legal legal and political superstructureand political superstructure. This . This superstructure reflects the realities superstructure reflects the realities of the baseof the base

Key concepts in Marxism:Key concepts in Marxism:commodity fetishismcommodity fetishism

In capitalist societies, exchange of In capitalist societies, exchange of commodities is an abstraction, commodities is an abstraction, concealing the social relationships concealing the social relationships behind itbehind it

Decisions appear to be made by the Decisions appear to be made by the market, rather than by societymarket, rather than by society

Commodities and markets seem to Commodities and markets seem to take on lives of their owntake on lives of their own

marx (and engels!) lsj 362 fall 2007. karl marx (1818- 1883) lived at time of great social...

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