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Karl Marx and Marxism

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Title: Karl Marx and Marxism


1
Karl Marx and Marxism
  • The Development of Scientific Socialism

2
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)

3
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.

4
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

5
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

6
Marxist Theory Dialectic Materialism
  • Materialism has an economic base and a social
    superstructure (Feuerbach)

7
Marxist Theory Dialectic Materialism
  • Dialect is the process of change and development,
    with matter in motion -- interaction (thesis,
    anti-thesis, synthesis), conflict, and revolution

8
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)

9
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

10
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

11
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)

12
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

13
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

14
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?
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