Soci250 Sociological Theory Module 3 Karl Marx I Old Marx Fran ois Nielsen University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Spring 2007 Outline Main Themes Life Major Influences Old Young Marx Old Marx Communist Manifesto Critique of Political Economy Capital Discussion Points Main Themes distinction between philosophy oriented younger Marx economics sociology oriented older Marx main themes of work already present in Communist Manifesto goal of older Marx is to derive scientific demonstration of scenario of capitalist evolution Karl Marx 1818 1883 Life Major Influences born Trier Rhineland Catholic region of Prussia family intellectual liberal Jewish father successful lawyer descendant of rabbis converts to Lutheranism Prussia s official religion to continue practicing law 1835 U of Bonn to study Law joins Trier Tavern Club drinking society Karl Marx 1818 1883 Life Major Influences 1836 Friedrich Wilhelm U Berlin joins Young Hegelians 1841 PhD in Philosophy U of Jena dissertation The Difference Between the Democritean and Epicurean Philosophy of Nature marries Jenny von Westphalen daughter of German baron 6 children only 3 survive Karl Marx 1818 1883 Life Influences 1843 move to Paris 1845 Marx Engels move to Brussels Belgium and then between Brussels Paris Germany meets Friedrich Engels becomes communist reads work of Proudhon write The Jewish Question 1847 The Poverty of Philosophy a critique of Proudhon 1848 The Communist Manifesto platform of the Communist League 1848 revolution in France Karl Marx 1818 1883 Life Major Influences Friedrich Engels in 1856 Karl Marx 1818 1883 Life Influences 1849 Marx Engels move to London Marx supported by Engels revenue from family industrial business 1864 First International International Workingmen s Association 1864 1876 1867 Capital volume I 1881 Jenny dies 1883 Karl dies buried in Highgate Cemetary complete works not published until 1931 Karl Marx 1818 1883 Old Young Marx Marx s work traditionally divided into two periods younger older Young Marx 1841 to 1847 or 1848 writings are mostly philosophical main works include Holy Family Poverty of Philosophy Economic Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 German Ideology Communist Manifesto transition to second period several works not published until after Marx s death publication of complete works 1931 generated wave of reinterpretations of Marx in the West Karl Marx 1818 1883 Old Young Marx Old Marx 1848 after Marx becomes a sociologist economist views himself as a scientist main works include Communist Manifesto transition between younger older Marx Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy Capital Raymond Aron notes heart of Marxist thought is Capital in it Marx attempts to scientifically demonstrate inevitable evolution of capitalism cannot be downplayed as some reinterpretations emphasizing younger works do Karl Marx 1818 1883 Old Marx Marx late in life Karl Marx 1818 1883 Old Marx Marx s core ideas Raymond Aron 1905 1983 antagonism between labor proletariat management capitalists key fact of modern capitalist society antagonism inherent in functioning of capitalism leads to inevitable self destruction implies activism to help fulfill this prearranged destiny Karl Marx 1818 1883 Old Marx Communist Manifesto In Communist Manifesto The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles always an oppressor and an oppressed class freemen slaves patricians plebeians artisan masters journeymen nobles serfs etc always a tendency to polarization into 2 groups in modern capitalist society means of production improving constantly relations of production relation of ownership distribution of income not changing pauperization proletarianization contradiction will lead to revolutionary crisis Karl Marx 1818 1883 Old Marx Communist Manifesto during proletarian revolution all classes artisans petite bourgeoisie will coalesce into two bourgeoisie proletariat revolution by the proletariat will sweep away old conditions of production thereby sweeping away conditions for the existence of classes and political power bringing about the end of classes according to Aron aim of Marx in later works is providing a scientific demonstration of these Manifesto themes the antagonistic character of capitalist society the inevitable destruction of that society caused by the antagonism the revolutionary explosion that will abolish the antagonism Karl Marx 1818 1883 Old Marx Contribution to a Critique of Political Economy Essential ideas in Contribution to a Critique of Political Economy long passage cited by Aron pp 154 156 1 men enter into definite relations that are independent of their will preferences thus one can explain history independent of individuals subjectivity 2 in every society one can distinguish infrastructure economic base forces relations of production superstructure legal political institutions ways of thinking ideologies philosophies 3 mechanism of historical change is contradiction at certain phases of historical evolution between forces of production society s productive capacity as function of technological knowledge organization of collective labor relations of production essentially relations of property distribution of societal income Karl Marx 1818 1883 Old Marx Contribution to a Critique of Political Economy 4 in period of contradiction one conservative reactionary class is attached to old relations one progressive class favors new relations of production which promote optimal growth of forces of production mark new stage in historical process 5 revolution only occurs when conditions are ripe i e forces of production have sufficiently developed in the womb of old relations of production e g French Revolution when capitalism sufficiently developed within feudal system Karl Marx 1818 1883 Old Marx Contribution to a Critique of Political Economy 6 distinction between social reality social relations individuals consciousness ways of thinking Social reality determines consciousness not consciousness reality 7 four stages of human history distinguished by their modes of production 1 2 3 4 ancient slavery feudal serfdom bourgeois wage earning Asiatic subordination of all workers to the state Only first 3 modes have been realized in Western history Asiatic mode basis of critique of Soviet society Karl Marx 1818 1883 Old Marx Capital Capital Volume I published 1867 Volumes II III published posthumously assembled by Engels from Marx s papers incomplete some passages contradictory