KARL MARX

LAST OF THE GREAT CRITICS OF THE WESTERN TRADITION

LINKED ECONOMIC AND INTELLECTUAL LIFE

Engels was his friend and comrade

Marx generalized from particular events, like Aristotle

Engels was more deterministic, analyzed from the general to the particular, like
Plato

Marxist pol phil aimed at human liberation and emancipation

In the Late 17th century, the traditional analysis of pol order based on scarcity was
replaced by one based on abundance, due to the discovery of America

Scarcity came to be seen as man made, not natural, as once seen

This is evidenced from writings of Locke

But this was soon refuted by poverty, and it led to crystallization of socialist ideas

Hegelian critique of Individualism

Even Marx was Eurocentric, and there is very less difference between an liberal Mill,
socialist Marx

and a idealist Hegel

Marx aspired to create a social phil that articulated the aspirations of the rising
proletariat

Praised the French revolution as the demise of feudalism

But Hegel contended that the revolution would lead to the emergence of nation
states

While MARX believed that it is a prelude to a more fundamental and total revolution
of the masses, beyond the nation states

Acc to him, FR was a political revolution,, and the next step was a social revolution
which would be

Ushered in by the proletariat

Babeuf pointed out the contradictions between liberty and equality, and advocated
socialization of the

Industry and land to complete the FR

Marx dubbed the pre-Marxist Socialists as Utopians, as they advocated non

revolutionary change and class harmony

His relationship between them was like the one between Plato and the Sophists

He borrowed more from their ideas than he cared to admit, so was indebted to their
ideas

MARX DESCRIBED HIS SOCIALISM AS SCIENTIFIC

Said that destruction of capitalism was inevitable, coz it had given rise to its own
grave diggers

Capitalism made man acquisitive, ruthlessly competitive and selfish, and eroded
natural instincts of compassion, fraternity and solidarity

Made socialism a very possible reality, not just a mere pleasing dream, by removing
the early socialism of its eccentricities and fantasies

Critique of Hegelian idealism

Acknowledged Hegel as a great thinker

Took away from Hegelianism its nationalism, conservatism and counter

revolutionary character

REPLACED THE STRUGGLE OF NATIONS WITH THE STRUGGLE OF SOCIAL CLASSES

Was born Jewish, converted to Lutheranism

Established communist league in 1848, existed till 1850

Expelled from Prussia in 1848, lived in London till his death

He conceded that human mind was capable of comprehending the external world,
and was a dynamic force

Idea of human liberation ran through Marxist thoughts as a guiding force

Philosophy needs to be practical

Emphasized on absolute autonomy of the human mind, and freed men from all
superstitions of transcendent objects

DIALECTICS was the key idea in Hegelian phil

Hegel believed in a movement from rudimentary state of affairs to a perfect form

For Marx, key idea was not history of phil, but that of economic production and
social relations that accompanied it

Praised Hegels contribution of viewing history of the world as a process of constant

change

Said that capitalism developed as a reason of certain historical factors, and would
disappear in due course of time

Both perceived social change as inevitable, and used dialectics to prove it

Unlike Hegel, who applied his dialectics to phil world, Marx applied it to the material
world

THE MODE OF PRODUCTION AND EXCHANGE WAS THE FINAL CAUSE OF ALL SOCIAL
CHANGES AND POLITICAL REVOLUTIONS

It means that, for minds or thoughts to change, society has to change first

Marx considered MATTER AS ACTIVE, CAPABLE OF CHANGING FROM WITHIN

Both appealed to an emotion above self interest as a reason for driving change-

For Hegel it was national pride, for Marx it was the loyalty among workers for a
better future

He attacked Hegelianism from within, using the writings of Feuerbach

Who critiqued the Hegelian process of putting the thought before existence

It was existence that preceded thought, so it was neither God nor thought, but the
individual who was the FOCUS

ATHEISTIC BENT OF KARL MARX

In Hegels phil, the individual, instead of remaining the subject, became a predicate
of universal substance
THE PHILOSOPHERS HAVE ONLY INTERPRETED THE WORLD IN DIFFERENT WAYS,
THE POINT, HOWEVER, IS TO CHANGE IT :: MARX

Marx replaced God with Money, and said that man worships money as it dominates
him

Mentioned the importance of ideology in perpetuating false consciousness among

people

Demarcated the stages which were necessary for reaching the goal of Communism

But the individual had to hasten the process of evolution of history

Practical side of human activity, rather than speculative thought as the moving
force of history

Considered the mode of production as the economic base, the real foundation of
society

This economic base determined and conditioned the superstructure, which consists
of state, law , govt, art, culture, phil

This is ECONOMIC DETERMINISM

When the economic base of society changed , there was a change in consciousness

It brought about consequent changes within the superstructure

5 stages of economic development known to history

1- PRIMITIVE COMMUNISM
2- SLAVERY
3- FEUDALISM
4- CAPITALISM
5- COMMUNISM

Except in the last one, each one had an inherent contradiction that made conflict
imminent

SOCIALISM IS THE PATHWAY TO COMMUNISM

Human liberation IS DIFFERENT from pol emancipation

This can be done if man Is freed from religion and private property

THE HISTORY OF ALL HITHERTO EXISTING SOCIETY IS THE HISTORY OF CLASS

STRUGGLE

2 classes in every society, one who owned the means of production and one who
sold their labor

Relationship was of exploitation and domination, in all the phases of history

FREEMAN AND SLAVE, PARTICIAN AND PLEBIAN, GUILD MASTER AND JOURNEYMAN,
in a word-

OPPRESSOR AND OPPRESSED, stood in constant opposition to one another

He objected to the idea that class struggle had ended with the rise of bourgeoisie

He said that it was the desire among the industrial proletariat to bring about
economic equality that kept class struggle and revolutionary change alive

COMMUNISM WOULD BE A CLASSLESS SOCIETY, SO CLASS STRUGGLE WOULD END

WITH ITS ARRIVAL

CLASS FOR MERX ==== NATION FOR HEGEL

It symbolized collective unity for each of them

Individual was important wrt his membership within a class,which is determined by

his moral convictions, aesthetic preferences and every kind of reasoning

For MARX, ideology played a pivotal role in controlling the oppressed

3 main features of ideas-

 1- They depicted the existing order as entrenched in forces that were beyond
human control. Things were not arbitrary, but were instituted by certain
sections of the society for their benefit
2- Ideas explained how existing order benefitted all in the society
3- Ideas depicted existing order as beneficial in a particular way, namely to
promote the dominant economic class and protect the class privileges

The actual reality was hidden, which Marx described as FALSE CONSCIOUSNESS

THE IDEAS OF THE RULING CLASS ARE IN EVERY EPOCH THE RULING IDEAS

The ruling material force of the society is at the same time its ruling intellectual
force

IDEOLOGY + ECONOMIC DETERMINISM + CLASS STRUGGLE---- strategic guide to

the working class in its efforts to bring about a social revolution

ANALYSIS OF CAPITALISM

2 factors to define capitalism-

1- Wage labor - Capitalism arises only when owners of means of production

and subsistence meet In the market with the free labourer selling his labor
power
2- Private ownership of means of production- Distinct from personal
property, like household effects and home

Marx said that the man who owns no other property than labor is always a
slave to the owners of property

Even if state owned the means of production, wage labor would still continue. This
is not real Socialism, but a new variant of capitalism, called STATE CAPITALISM

Today, many critics argue that the USSR wasnt a true socialist state, but a
tyrannous form of state capitalism

3 reasons which made capitalism attractive-

 1- It brought remarkable economic progress by revolutionizing the
means of production and developing tech as never before. It built
and encouraged the growth of commerce and factories on a scale
unknown before. Instituted cooperative social production.
(He gave examples of inventions and discoveries made by capitalism)
2- It undermined national barriers, in its search for market and raw
materials. It was cosmopolitan and international.
3- In its own country, it eliminated the distinction between the town
and the country, and enabled peasants to come out of what Marx
called the idiocy of rural life. It created an urban civilization.

But despite all these uses, capitalism has outlived its utility coz of the immense
suffering and hardships it has caused. It would have to yield itself to a new
socialist mode of production.

Examples of suffering-

Eviction of peasants from their land, loss of their sources of income, their
vagabondage, assembling in cities where they had become dependent on starvation
wages, creation of the proletariat (have nots)

At least , old feudal agreements guaranteed existence

The exploitation of the proletariat can be measured by surplus value- the difference
between the wages paid to the laborer and the final price for which the goods were
sold.

The rate of profit indicated the degree of exploitation

DRAWBACKS OF CAPITALISM-

1- Suffering required for the creation of the free-wage labourer is a cost of

capitalism
2- Exploitation
3- Alienation of the worker. For MARX, labor needs to be satisfying and fulfilling.
Which was not possible under capitalism. Coz of lack of control the laborer
had over the production. Division of labor had made him a specialist, which
hindered the full growth of his talents, and stifling his potential. He had no
control over the final product of his labor. It led to COMMODITY FETISHISM,
as they were enslaved by their products.

ASSUMPTION ON WHICH CAPITALISM WORKED-

 1- Individuals are fully human only when they developed and expressed their
potential through satisfying labor
2- Modern industrial system afforded opportunities for all to engage in
rewarding labor

CLASSICAL economists believed in the trickle-down theory, but Marx said that the
gulf widened.

Because of all this, the individual, who is also the producer, rebels against society

CAPITALISM IS TRULY GLOBAL IN IMPACT

WORKERS OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE

As working class increased in number , it got bargaining skills and became better
organized

The clarion call given to the workers was to unite, shed their chains and conquer the
world

He predicted that proletarian revolutions would occur in the most

industrially advanced countries, coz , with development, the gulf between
the rich and the poor is widened, and rate of profit would fall, while
workers salaries would remain at a subsistence levels.

But Marx failed to comprehend the tremendous resilience of capitalism, and it

stabilized itself in the late 19th century

He did not take cognizance of the fact that A HATRED OF CAPITALISM NEED
NOT LEAD TO SOCIALISM, AS IT CAN TAKE OTHER POLITICAL DIRECTIONS

Capitalism made 3 fundamental changes-

1- DECOLONISATION
2- UNIVERSAL ADULT FRANCHISE/ DEMOCRACY
3- SOCIAL SECURITY MEASUES, LABOR WELFARE LAWS AND STATE
INTERVENTION TO CREATE DEMAND AND BOOST EMPLOYMENT

Marxist predictions did not come true, He had said that people will either become
bourgeoisie or proletariat. But this didnt happen, and middle class grew constantly

Small business organizations did not get eliminated

He rejected Hegels claims of the state being the march of God on earth, and said
that it is nothing but an instrument of domination by haves

State belongs to realm of superstructure, as it was conditioned and determined by

its economic base

State is the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE BOURGEOIS

Hegel differentiated between state and civil society

Marx envisaged a classless, stateless society of true democracy and full

communism, in which the political state disappeared

The state expresses human alienation

STATE ACQUIRED INDEPENDENCE AND BECAME AUTONOMOUS WHEN THE

ADVERSARY CLASSES WERE IN A STATE OF TEMPORARY EQUILIBRIUM

In such a situation, the dictator, with the support of state apparatus, became its
guardian

This is called BONAPARTISM