CH 22 Part 3 MARXISM

I have radical ideas, thus the radical beard! no other ideas came out of the post-Congress of Vienna era which would have more influence than those of Karl Marx.

Karl Marx (1818-1883) was the son of a lawyer from Prussia. Why are you staring at my beard? Karl Marx (1818-1883) was the son of a lawyer from Prussia.

Jewish family converted to Christianity Biography Born 1818 in Trier , Prussia Jewish family converted to Christianity Studied philosophy and economics in Berlin Married Jenny von Westphalen Earned his living (badly) as a journalist Died 1883 in London having only written 3 of the planned 8 volumes of Das Kapital.

They lived off her wealth. Jenny von Westphalen Marx adored Jenny. They were engaged for seven years before her family would allow a marriage. They lived off her wealth. He died soon after her, not wishing to be alone without her.

He had three kinds of writing: Politics Marx was a communist. He wrote The Communist Manifesto with his friend, Friedrich Engels in 1848. He had three kinds of writing: Journalism Political polemic Analysis of society and culture.

Influenced by the philosopher Hegel Karl Marx (1818-1883) Influenced by the philosopher Hegel Much of his work in London in collaboration with Friedrich Engels concept of dialectical materialism The Communist Manifesto 3

Historicism The “Hegelian Dialectic” History advances through conflict. One phase of history creates its opposite [ex: absolutism to democracy]. Thesis Antithesis George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel [1744-1803] Synthesis

Marx studied Hegel’s view of thesis, antithesis and synthesis Marx studied Hegel’s view of thesis, antithesis and synthesis. (Dialectic Theory)

WHAT IS DIALECTIC METHOD? The dialectical method is discourse between two or more people holding different points of viewabout a subject, who wish to establish the truth of the matter guided by reasoned arguments.[1] – wikipedia (Goes back to Socrates and Plato and ancient Greece)

Hegelian Dialectic a thesis (Status quo), giving rise to its reaction, an antithesis, which contradicts or negates the thesis, and the tension between the two being resolved by means of a synthesis. :Example Cottage system (thesis) vs. Arkwright’s Factory System (anti-thesis)= Change in production techniques Although this model is often named after Hegel, he himself never used that specific formulation. Hegel ascribed that terminology to Immanuel Kant. Carrying on Kant's work, Fichte greatly elaborated on the synthesis model, and popularized it.

Marx’s Theory of Dialectical Materialism Social and economic change through conflict Emerging classes associated with economic innovations come into conflict with the old Replacement of an old economic order with a superior one Capitalism is a qualitative leap over feudalism Socialism is a qualitative leap over capitalism 4

Marx’s Dialectical Materialism  History is a process of development through conflict; not a conflict of ideas, but real conflict between economic classes. History is the product of causal relations and class conflict, not dialectical conflict between ideas. CLASS STRUGGLE

Social Evolution Struggle, rather than peaceful growth, was the engine of progress; strife was the father of all things, and social conflict was the core of the historical process.

The Communist Manifesto Karl Marx Friedrich Engels

Marx met Friedrich Engels (1820- 1893) who was the heir to a vast fortune.

Marx and Engels met in Paris in 1844 Marx and Engels met in Paris in 1844. In 1847, they joined the Communist League—which was, at that time, a tiny group of revolutionaries.

Marx echoed that history was the result of impersonal forces—

Marx’s insight: It’s all about money

Some have it…… They are called capitalists (or the bourgeoisie)

Others don’t ….. They are called the workers (or the proletariat)

Capitalists and workers are thrown together into relations of production

They don’t get on too well

the maximum PROFIT – and the lowest costs Capitalists want the maximum PROFIT – and the lowest costs

the highest wage for the least work Workers want the highest wage for the least work

These two groups are locked in mortal combat

The Capitalists compete with each other. The successful capitalist’s get richer and richer

…and the failed capitalists fall down into the working class

The workers meanwhile are more and more exploited by the remaining capitalists – they get poorer and poorer

A new communist society will be created Marx said that eventually the workers will rise up in revolution against the capitalist class A new communist society will be created

He wrote that conditions , mainly economic, produce the change--

To Marx (Dialectic History) Stage 1- Fuedal Lords lost control of serfs and peasants after Plague etc. Stage 2- City Life and Guilds was manipulated by Capitalists Stage 3 - Capitalism overthrown by Proletariat (workers) Stage 4- Communism (Classless Society) would lead to Utopia

Capitalism Inefficient feudalism replaced by far more efficient capitalism As capitalism emerges, there is an accumulation of capital (wealth) by the bourgeoisie (the capitalists) and the creation of a free (i.e., not serf) labor force, the proletariat Extreme dichotomy between capital and labor Sets up two classes which must eventually conflict 5

The Model Marx models an internal contradiction which sets up the conflict between classes Proposes a “labor theory of value” Long run value determined by three things amount of labor used to produce the good indirect embodiment of labor through capital and intermediate inputs the capitalist’s surplus 6

Surplus Value Where does this surplus value come from? Workers are paid a subsistence wage Employers compel workers to produce a value above that needed to generate subsistence wage The workers get the subsistence wage, the capitalist gets the surplus the “Reserve Army of the Unemployed” keeps wages at subsistence level exploitation of labor 8

Cut-Throat Capitalism and the Internal Contradiction Each firm in cut-throat competition for each other’s business Driven to gain temporary competitive advantage over others The way to do this is to introduce labor saving innovations that is, replace labor with capital But innovation diffuses quickly through economy, dissipating innovator’s advantage 13

As the organic composition of capital rises, the rate of profit falls Thus, throughout the economy, capitalists are driven to accumulate capital in order to replace labor with capital But as labor is replaced with capital, the organic composition of capital rises As the organic composition of capital rises, the rate of profit falls Capitalists try to keep up rate of profit by exploiting labor more and more More and more firms fall behind and fail bankrupt capitalists lose their capital and join the swelling ranks of the proletariat 14

Overproduction Tendency toward overproduction workers too poor to buy much capitalists too busy saving (accumulating capital) economic depressions become more and more severe 15

Revolution The stage is set for revolution proletariat swelling and becoming increasingly exploited bourgeoisie shrinking and becoming increasingly cut-throat the proletariat rises up in revolt, replacing the bourgeoisie as the dominant class and creating the new socialist order 16

The Communist Manifesto was a summons to revolution…

The famous saying, “Workers of the world, unite” is one of the most famous in history.

So remember, this saying has its roots in the unhappy conditions of France and other countries prior and after the 1848 revolutions.

Karl Marx spent time in London—where he spent hours in the British Library Reading Room. There he began the research that led to his great works of political and economic analysis, including the monumental Das Kapital.

Marx was buried in Highgate cemetery. Still looking at my beard even after my death!

When Marx died, he was not well known except in revolutionary circles. Marx’s role in history When Marx died, he was not well known except in revolutionary circles. After his death, his writing prompted a number of politicians to lead revolutions in his name. Many of these societies were totalitarian. His philosophy underlies the thinking of many political parties – old Labour for example.

Marxism’s message began to diminish between 1848 and 1870 — labor became organized, most men got the vote, and there were other increases to wages and benefits.

REVISIONIST SOCIALISM MANY SOCIALISTS DECIDED THEY DID NOT NEED VIOLENCE. THEY COULD GET REFORMS LEGALLY THROUGH WITH VOTING (LIBERALISM) MANY WESTERN NATIONS MADE SOCIALIST REFORMS TO AVOID VIOLENCE AND UNREST LIKE 1848

And in fact, Marxism should have died out…but instead, he was read and re- read by a young man in the Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin. Our life stinks comrade This guys beard is like Karl’s We must break them

The Russian Revolution of 1917 would be a much later outcome of the writings of Karl Marx—70 years after the revolutions of 1848.

6. Czechoslovakia 1948 External The Socialist Countries in 1987 Year Socialist Period Begins Change Via Internal or External Forces 1. Soviet Union 1917 Internal 2. Mongolia 1921 External 3. Albania 1944 Internal 4. Yugoslavia 1945 Internal 5. Bulgaria 1947 External 6. Czechoslovakia 1948 External 7. Hungary 1948 External Poland 1948 External 9. Romania 1948 External 10. North Korea 1948 External 11. China 1949 Internal 12. East Germany 1949 External 13. Vietnam 1954 Internal 1

The Socialist Countries (cont.) 14. Cuba 1959 Internal 15. Congo 1963 Internal 16. Somalia 1969 Internal 17. South Yemen 1969 Internal 18. Benin 1972 Internal 19. Ethiopia 1974 Internal 20. Angola 1975 External 21. Kampuchea 1975 External 22. Laos 1975 External 23. Mozambique 1975 Internal 24. Afghanistan 1978 External 25. Nicaragua 1979 Internal 26. Zimbabwe 1980 Internal