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KARL MARX

KARL MARX. 1818-1883. BRIEF BIOGRAPHY. Prussia, comfortable, middle class, Jewish Co- Author Das Kapital, The Communist Manifesto Moved to Paris (1843) – exiled (1844) Brussels, London Journalist, philosopher, social scientist, historian, revolutionary, poet, father, husband

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KARL MARX

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  1. KARL MARX 1818-1883

  2. BRIEF BIOGRAPHY • Prussia, comfortable, middle class, Jewish • Co- Author Das Kapital, The Communist Manifesto • Moved to Paris (1843) – exiled (1844) • Brussels, London • Journalist, philosopher, social scientist, historian, revolutionary, poet, father, husband • University of Berlin, lawyer • Influenced by George Hegel

  3. GEORGE HEGEL • 1770-1831 • Professor University of Berlin • German Philosopher • Volkgeist (absolute spirit) • Happiness = Study History align yourself – Volkgeist • Volkgiest works through state leaders • Dialectical Process

  4. VOLKGEIST • “volk” – spiritual entity • Literature, music, art, culture of people manifestations of the “volkgeist” • German myths, legends, fairytales • National Spirit, Universal Spirit

  5. DIALECTIC PROCESS THESIS SYNTHESIS VOLKGIEST ANTITHESIS

  6. DIALECTIC PROCESS • THESIS – Set of Ideas - established order • ANTITHESIS – Conflict of ideas that challenge to the established order • SYNTHESIS – solution emerged that was a step ahead of the old system

  7. GEORGE HEGEL • Historical Evolution • “History is the unfolding of reality itself, the ideas of the minds of the universe…” • Nothing in history is accidental or arbitrary Each era = set of ideas + opposing ideas = synthesis • Stages • Asiatic – absolute monarchy • Greco-Roman – individual freedom • Germanic European – synthesis of freedom with a strong state

  8. INFLUENCE ON MARX • Hegel – conflict of ideas???? NOT IDEAS / $$$ • Hegel too idealistic too mystical • Marx conflict of economic class struggle • “turned Hegel on his head” • Applied Hegelianism to society and economics • “Scientific Socialism” – philosophy grounded in empirical historical, sociological, and economic data • Happiness come through the erasure of false class consciousness

  9. MARXISM • “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, the point is to change it” – MARX • Communism – each should contribute according to their ability and receive according to their need • "the nature of individuals depends on the material conditions determining their production."

  10. PARIS • October 1843 • Home of many revolutionaries • Relationship with Friedrich Engels – Son of a wealthy factory owner, Communist & Atheist • Marxist ideology a reaction to the conditions of the day – one of many • Industrial Revolution

  11. COMMUNIST MANIFESTO • 1848 • Co-authored Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) • History is the record of humankind’s coming to grips with the physical nature to produce goods necessary for survival • Historical process determined the structures, values, and ideas of society – rooted in class struggle

  12. FIVE STAGES OF HISTORY • Primitive • Slave Owning • Feudal • Capitalist • Communist “Capitalism will destroy itself, because it contains the seed of its own destruction” - Marx

  13. FIVE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF MARXISM • Dialectical Materialism • Class Struggle • The Theory of Surplus Value • The Inevitability of Communism • The Dictatorship of the Proletariat

  14. DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM • Human history based on wealth of ownership and means of production • Modes of production determine the rest of the social structure • Marx – conflict of material conditions (economics) • Owners of Production – bourgeoisie • Workers – Proletariat • Industrial Revolution – inequity between the “haves” and “have nots” • Changes in material condition will change the whole nature of society

  15. SUPER STRUCTURE IDEALS OF SOCIETY Laws, morals, ethics, religion Justification, rationale, ideology, for who controls means of production BASE What are the means of production? How wealth, or capital, is produced and divided? Who owns the means of production? = CLASS STRUGGLE

  16. SURPLUS VALUE $ Labor is the source of all value $ Capitalist got more labor than he paid for $ According to Marx, the capitalist stole from the worker $ Amount charge over the amount to produce = “PROFIT”

  17. DICTATORSHIP OF THE PROLETARIAT • History - involved conflict b/w classes that owned the means of production and the classes that worked for them • VIOLENT REVOLUTION OF THE PROLETARIAT • Property-less and classless Communist society • “State withers away” • Transitional period b/w Capitalism and Communism • Socialism inevitable – wealth distributed equally

  18. FLAWS • Divided society into two giant hostile groups • Did not take into account the power of Nationalism, Religion • Predicted Revolution would occur in Capitalist nations first • ? Russia, agricultural, China • More and More people did not suffer from Industrial society – benefited • Workers lose their incentive to work and progress • Gov’t – difficulty managing complex economic system, will become a dictatorship, place needs of the state ahead of the needs of the people

  19. REVISIONISM • Late nineteenth century • Re-evaluate Marxism • Eduard Bernstein (1850-1932) • Evolutionary Socialism(1889) • Capitalism showed no signs of collapse, conditions of workers improved through LEGISLATION • REFORM within existing order rather than revolution • Achievements through the Democratic political process (Social Democrats)

  20. RESULTS • Marxism was just another ideology that existed and criticize the emerging industrial capitalist society • Marx theory was largely ignored by scholars during his lifetime • After his death – his social, political, and economic philosophy gained acceptance and was altered • Until recently (1989) – almost half of the world’s population claimed to be Communist

  21. APPLICATION OF MARXISM • First applied 1917 Bolshevik Revolution • Marxism-Leninism • Lenin altered Marx ideology - 70 years later • Marx in its pure philosophy was never applied • Marx waited for history Lenin made it • Lenin 1st to alter Marx

  22. MARXISM - LENINISM • Revolution possible in an agricultural country (Marx – industrial nation first) • “Revolution from above” – elite intellectual revolutionaries not below (workers) • Revolution determined by human leadership not historical laws

  23. MAOISM • Mao Zedong version of Marxism • Leader the Chinese Communist Revolution • 1949 – 1976 • “Great Leap Forward” • “Cultural Revolution”

  24. COMMUNIST SYSTEMS TODAY • NORTH KOREA • VIETNAM • CUBA • LAOS • CHINA

  25. “WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE. YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT YOUR CHAINS”

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