1. http://www. willamette. edu/~sbasu/poli305/NotesonMarx_files/image013
MARXISM
“The work of Marx taken as a whole is a savage, sustained indictment of one alleged injustice: that the profit, the comfort, the luxury of one man is paid for by the loss, the misery, the denial of another” C. Wright Mills on Marx

2. The founder of revolutionary communism
Karl Marx – a German economist
b. 1818, d. 1883
Wrote the Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital
These two works explained the theory of communism

4. “The history of all human society, past and present, has been the history of class struggles” Marx

6. Economic relationships most important in the world
Factory manager and owner: the bourgeoisie
The workers: the proletariat
The workers are the most important because they do all the work to make the raw material more valuable
However, the capitalist steals the profit
The state works on behalf of the capitalists
Workers suffer, while capitalists get wealthy

7. Solution: A take over
The workers, or proletariat, should take over the means of production from the capitalists: property, raw materials, factory, homes and so on.
Communism: violent revolution will bring this about
Socialism: Only legally and constitutionally – example, the government pays to purchase an industry

8. Private property is bad
Marx believed that after the revolution, through ownership, individuals would eventually take over the means of production and become new capitalists
As in the French Revolution
Therefore, private property must be abolished
Property should be owned collectively (by everybody)

9. Differences Socialism: Less extreme, more flexible
Means of production
worker’s cooperatives
government ownership
Free enterprise, not unfettered
Work within political structure
Reform capitalism
Social safety net
Communism: All people should be equal, free, and should enjoy a sufficient standard of living; therefore, no one should even own more consumer goods than another

10. Capitalism Capitalism – Free market economy
private ownership – groups and individuals
supply and demand economy
let business do what it does best, smaller government

11. Marx: Paradise on Earth
Capitalism grew out of feudalism, but could not grow forever and would exploit people by its nature
Class struggle would be the result. (struggle between workers and owners)
Revolution by the common man would come in the final phase of capitalism (Britain, US, Germany)

12. After the Revolution
A Dictatorship of the Proletariat would take over – only a transitional phase
Communists would have complete authority to make sure capitalism did not return
The state would whither, and true communism would be established
Good people would create good people and reduce the need for the state

13. Review of Basic Ideas Humans by nature are good
Economic relations determine all human relations
Exploitation is inherent feature of capitalism
Private property is evil
Capitalism creates two classes of people
Only revolution can rid society of capitalism
Classlessness and statelessness will follow