Marxism: Introduction

Basic Questions:  Is money (or the economic relations we are in) the most important determinant in our life? our achievements; our social relations; our ideas; literature and all the cultural products.

Marxism: Focuses  Dialectic Materialism -- Marx and Vulgar Marxism  Literature & Society: Marxist Views and Althusser ’ s theory of Ideology  Marxist Literary Critics: Jameson and Eagleton  Cultural Marxism (if time allows)

Marx: Basic Ideas 1. Critique of capitalism – Exploitation of laborers and Alienation of them from their productive process 2. (His Dialectic View of History: Revises Hegel ’ s view of history) 3. Dialectic Materialism 4. Social Structure: Base and Superstructure

Social Structure: Base and Superstructure  Base-- “ The sum total of [the] relations of production constitutes the economic structure of society, the real foundation ”  Superstructure--a legal and political superstructure, cultural institutions and forms of social consciousness.  Relations between -- The mode of production of material life conditions the social, political and intellectual life process in general.

Marx ’ s Critique of Capitalism 1. Capitalism – caused by industrialism ’ s amplification of labor power with machines surplus values accumulation and expansion of capitals 2. Consequences: exploitation and alienation of laborers, exchange values over use values; reification( 物化 ) and commodification of human relations 3. Marx ’ s argument: State-owned properties (example: clips of The Greatest Thinker: Marx )

Marx ’ s Critique of Capitalism (2) Example 2: “ Rocking Horse Winner ” I. Central questions:  Why does the family hear a voice? Why do toys here it, too? p. 296; 295  How is the rocking horse used as a means of production? (horse race) How is the boy, laborer of the family? (luck vs. lucre; work + mysticism)  What role does the family (mother, uncle, Bassette) play in the exploitation of the boy to death? (Bassette ’ s and the uncle ’ s partnership , the mother ’ s birthday gift p. 301)

Marx ’ s Critique of Capitalism (3) Example 2: “ Rocking Horse Winner ” 2. --Related issues: fetishism – 誰來問凱蒂貓是否也流了汗﹖ -- Commodities as system of signs. (e.g. “ The Lesson ” )

Dialectic Materialism: Marx ’ s Two major Statements  It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness.  (In other words-- Consciousness does not determine life; life determines consciousness.)

Marx: Two major Statements (2)  The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various way; the point is to change it.

Social Structure: Base and Superstructure (2)  Other ways to describe their relations:  reflect, determine ultimately, cause, condition,sets the limit Vulgar Marxism ’ s reflectionism (presupposes a homology in social structure) Example: The Bicycle Thief

Social Structure: Base and Superstructure (3)  Ideology: the ruling ideas of the ruling class; imposed on the other classes.  Superstructure Base as foundation, center Parallel, reflect

Althusser ’ s idea of social formation; de-centered  Relative autonomy of the social levels and ultimate determination by the base Superstructure Base