Karl Marx - Historical Materialism

Marx & Historical Materialism 1) History of Marx & Marxism 2) Influences 3) Basic concepts (Aims of sociology, human nature, historical materialism, class struggle) 4) Mode of production 5) Social Change: Revolution 6) Capitalism & Communism 7) Evaluation

History of Marx & Marxism Karl Marx (1818-1883) Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) Marx: joins radical movement; exiled from Germany; goes to Paris; goes to London & writes main works Engels: factory owner; socialist; scholar; aids Marx financially Both: important figures in the Socialist International

Important Writings EARLY: more about philosophy Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts (1844) MIDDLE: more about politics The Communist Manifesto (1848) (with Engels) LATER: more about economics Das Kapital (‘Capital’) (1867)

Influences Theory: German Philosophy Hegel: social change comes through social struggles and conflicts (dialectics) Feuerbach: deal with the “real” world, not just ideas about it (materialism) Analysing economy: British political economy Adam Smith: study the division of labour Politics: French Socialism - Saint-Simon: must create a new society, based on cooperation between classes, not conflict

Basic Concepts 1) Aim of ‘sociology’ (Historical Materialism): Create knowledge critical of existing society Inform the working classes of their oppression Encourage revolution – abolition of capitalist society Build new socialist, then communist, society

2) Human nature Human being is fundamentally a social animal (agreement with Durkheim) Human nature changes over time: - shaped by particular societies (e.g. human nature in capitalism: selfish human nature in communism: cooperative)

Part of human nature remains constant: - Humans creative / creativity in making things - Making things creatively allows self-expression Humans like working (if allowed to do so freely & creatively; but not if forced to) Good society: allows creativity in work Bad society: forced to work, work uncreative

3) Historical Materialism Always see the ‘material’ aspects of society as the most important The ‘ideal’ elements of society are less important (Contrast with Durkheim and, partly, Weber)

‘Ideal’ aspects: Ideas and beliefs (e.g. morals and religion) Ways of thinking ‘Culture’ (Emphasis on ‘ideal’ comes from Hegel)

Marx’s breakthrough Concentrate on ‘material’ aspects: - people making things (production) - people working (labour) people acting on raw materials to make goods humans transforming Nature for their use

Historical Materialism looks at material factors in society emphasises production and labour over ‘ideal’ factors Historical: looks at changes over time in material factors social change produced by changes in material factors Human history = changes in how people work & make things

4) Class and class struggle Two basic types of society: Class-less societies (e.g. communism) Class-based societies (e.g. capitalism) Within class-based societies: Classes are the most important social groups Different classes are antagonistic to each other

(especially in terms of wealth) Classes are antagonistic to each other as each class has its own interests Class interest: to be the most powerful group in society (especially in terms of wealth) Class struggle: classes always in conflict with each other to be the most powerful Human history – driven by conflicts between classes; classes win, classes lose

Dominant class(es) Subordinate class(es) Rulers Ruled Leaders Followers Power: Powerless: political & economic politically/economically Political; Control the government Ruled by government Economic: Control production Carry out production Controllers of economy Workers Economy benefits them Exploited

Mode of Production ECONOMIC BASE Forces Relations of production of production FUNCTIONING---------------------------------- SHAPES SOCIAL SUPERSTRUCTURE Ways of thinking, values, ideas Social institutions

Mode of Production (1) Most important idea of Marx (in later writings) Production = making things Production is essential: food, clothes, shelter, etc. Making things = transforming Nature Making things = using TOOLS to transform RAW MATERIALS into useable GOODS Consumption = using those goods (& so staying alive)

Mode of Production (2) Production is a SOCIAL ACTIVITY Individual humans cannot make much on their own - Must work cooperatively with others - Division of labour: different people have different jobs - Production has to be managed Different forms of management = different types of society

Production is a SOCIAL ACTIVITY Mode of Production (3) Production is a SOCIAL ACTIVITY In class-based societies: Ruling class controls production Ruling class OWN tools, raw materials and finished good (class of OWNERS) Subordinate classes do the actual work (class of NON-OWNERS) (workers) Division of labour: OWNERS & NON-OWNERS Ruling class reaps the benefits Subordinate classes lose out

ECONOMIC BASE (primary) SOCIAL SUPERSTRUCTURE (secondary) Mode of Production (4) Most important things in society are MATERIAL FACTORS (production, work, division of labour) Less important are IDEAL FACTORS (ideas and beliefs) ECONOMIC BASE (primary) shapes SOCIAL SUPERSTRUCTURE (secondary)

PRODUCTION PRODUCTION ECONOMIC BASE FORCES of RELATIONS of PRODUCTION PRODUCTION Scientific knowledge Social relations Technological knowledge which control & Technology (tools) organize production Raw materials Labour force (people) Class of OWNERS controls class of NON-OWNERS (workers)

SOCIAL SUPERSTRUCTURE 1) Ways of thinking, values, ideas (“Forms of social consciousness”) (“Ideologies”) 2) Social institutions Religion Family Education Government / the State

SOCIAL SUPERSTRUCTURE BASE controlled by RULING CLASS SO ECONOMIC BASE shapes SOCIAL SUPERSTRUCTURE BASE controlled by RULING CLASS SO SUPERSTRUCTURE controlled by RULING CLASS too ‘Dominant ideologies’ reflect ruling class interests Dominant ideologies justify rule of the rulers Social institutions work in ruling class interests

(Marxist functionalism) Social institutions work in ruling class interests (Marxist functionalism) Family: instils dominant ideologies in young breeds and looks after workers Education: instils dominant ideologies in young Media: spreads dominant ideologies Government: controls NON-OWNERS / protects OWNERS’ interests / ensures social stability

Mode of Production ECONOMIC BASE Forces Relations of production of production FUNCTIONING---------------------------------- SHAPES SOCIAL SUPERSTRUCTURE Ways of thinking, values, ideas Social institutions

Types of Mode of Production 1) Primitive communism (primitive society, no classes, very low division of labour, all work together) 2) Ancient mode of production (ancient Greece and Rome, aristocracy and slaves, slaves do most of the work) 3) Feudalism (medieval Europe, aristocratic lords and peasants, peasants do all the work) 4) Capitalism 5) Socialism / Communism

Social Change: Revolution Social change = transition from one mode of production to another That transition entails a revolution Revolutions occur in the ECONOMIC BASE Forces of production change, transforming relations of production Changes in BASE lead to changes in SUPERSTRUCTURE: whole society transformed

Revolution: from feudalism to capitalism FEUDALISM’S ECONOMIC BASE Forces Relations of production of production Agriculture Aristocratic lords & peasants ------------------------------------------ FEUDALISM’S SOCIAL SUPERSTRUCTURE Ways of thinking: Catholic Christianity Social institutions: Catholic Church, family

Revolution: from feudalism to capitalism CHANGING ECONOMIC BASE (happening from 16th to 19th centuries) Forces Relations of production of production Industrialism Power of aristocratic (factory production) lords taken over by a new class: Produced by: capitalists (bourgeoisie) Scientific innovations Technological developments Peasants move to cities Become workers in factories (proletariat)

CAPITALISM CAPITALISM’S ECONOMIC BASE Forces Relations of production of production Industrialism Capitalists & proletarians ------------------------------------------ CAPITALISM’S SOCIAL SUPERSTRUCTURE Ways of thinking: capitalist ideologies (religion no longer required) (Capitalism allows individual freedom, democracy, social mobility, etc.) Social institutions: family, media, government

CAPITALISM TODAY? CAPITALISM’S ECONOMIC BASE Forces Relations of production of production Post-Industrialism Capitalists (service sector, Managerial class computers & IT, Proletarians stock markets) (white collar, McWorkers) ------------------------------------------ CAPITALISM’S SOCIAL SUPERSTRUCTURE Ways of thinking: capitalist ideologies (social mobility, meritocracy, consumerism) Social institutions: media, welfare state

From Capitalism to Communism Forces of production develop, change relations of production (technology develops – no need for manual labour – no need for a working class) 2) Capitalism contradictory (capitalist seek profit, always in competition with each other, eventually no profits to be made, system falls apart) 3) Proletariat come to realise they are being exploited: revolution

Communist Mode of Production ECONOMIC BASE Forces Relations of production of production Highly developed Classes abolished machines doing most routine work All work together in cooperation Humans working All contribute to society freely & creatively All get what they need ------------------------------------------ SUPERSTRUCTURE Ways of thinking: end of ideologies, truth Social institutions: ‘withering away of the state’: communities govern themselves; true democracy

Evaluation 1) Overemphasises ‘material’ over ‘ideal’ factors - things like religion just as ‘real’ as work 2) ‘Reductionist’ oversimplifies a complex reality explains everything in terms of production & classes (but not all things can be explained that way) 3) Overly politicised not really social science - too biased more like propaganda & wishful thinking

Evaluation (2) 1) Production at the heart of human life 2) Outdated? Still applicable: We still live in capitalist society Marx’s ideas can be reworked to fit today’s conditions 3) Requires sociologist to be highly critical of current society reject dominant ideologies get at deeper truths