1. KARL MARX AND MARXISM “Workers of the world unite – you have nothing to lose but your chains!”

2. Marxism The key to history is economics The key to economics is class conflict All of history is the struggle between the dominant economic class and the exploited economic class

3. Superstructure (everything we see around us) The dominant economic class The Means of Production

4. Key point: When the means of production change then everything above it changes as well! For example: ancient world (Roman empire) to feudalism (Middle Ages) to capitalism (Renaissance) to industrialism (Modern)

5. The Modern World (circa 1848) Capitalism (c.1500) Industrial Revolution (c.1750) Two Classes The Bourgeoisie/Middle Class/Exploiters The Proletariat/Urban working class/Exploited

6. The Dictatorship of the Proletariat Violent overthrow of the Old Order One government with absolute power to remold society Re-education “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.” How long? Maybe hundreds of years? Abolition of all private property True Communism No classes No conflict No government No exploitation The Final Stages of History

7. Problems with Marxism Is it true that economics is the key to history? The conditions of workers in 1848 vs. the early (and late!) 20 th century The test of World War One