Berkeley Sociology 298Lectures 1 - 3 The Broad structure of Marxist TheoryJanuary 29-31The Problem: Many Marxisms, Why MarxismThere are four broad stances that people typically take with respect to Marxism. First, Propagating Marxism: Marxism is a comprehensive worldview for understanding the socialworld. It provides the theoretical weapons needed to attack the mystifications of capitalism andthe vision needed to mobilize the masses for struggle. The central task for Marxist intellectuals isto articulate the revolutionary core of Marxism in such a way that its influence increases,particularly within oppressed classes. The central issue is that Marxism must be made accessibleand internalized as a subjectively salient belief system.Then second, there is Burying Marxism: this is an antiquated, outmoded ideology, at most acuriosity of the intellectual history of the West, at worse a pernicious doctrine that has poisonedthe minds of people – especially youth! – for 150 years. It survived for so long because it wasbacked by political parties, not because it ever had any scientific merit. It is time to bury it onceand for all. Third, there is the stance of most sociologists: Using Marxism: Marxism is a source of interestingand suggestive ideas, many of which remain useful for contemporary social scientific analysis.Some Marxist ideas may have been deeply flawed from the beginning and others may have lostrelevance for understanding contemporary societies, but still the Marxist tradition contains manyuseful insights and arguments, and these should be preserved as an enduring legacy. Finally, there is Building Marxism : Marxism is an analytically powerful tradition of social theoryof vital importance for scientifically understanding the dilemmas and possibilities of social changeand social reproduction in contemporary society. Particularly if one wants to change the world inegalitarian and emancipatory ways, Marxism is indispensable. This does not mean, however, thatevery element within Marxism as it currently exists is sustainable. If Marxism aspires to be a socialscientific theory it must be continually subjected to challenge and transformation. BuildingMarxism also means reconstructing Marxism. Marxism is not a doctrine, a definitively establishedbody of truths. But neither is Marxism simply a catalogue of interesting insights. If the goal is toenhance our ability to understand the world in order to change it, building Marxism is a pivotaltask.In this course I will approach the Marxist tradition in this third way. We will not treat Marxism asa finished body of thought, as a bounded doctrine, but as a theoretical tradition of ideas anddebate that in order to remain relevant and powerful continually needs to be challenged andreconstructed. Now, any effort at reconstructing Marxism must start with some kind of account of what it is thatis to be reconstructed – what are the core ideas of this theoretical tradition that provide the rawSociology 6298. Lectures 1 - 3: Contours of Marxism 2materials for this theoretical enterprise. This turns out to be not such an easy task, because thereare many Marxisms and much dispute over what indeed constitutes its central core. It is for thisreason that I will generally use the expression “The Marxist Tradition” rather than “Marxism”.[Parenthetical note on the term “Marxism” and why this is unfortunate – cf creationism andDarwinism].In this lecture and the next I want to lay out a series of theses which I think define the core ideasof classical Marxism and the basic contours of the kind of reconstruction I will be developing inthis course. Most of these theses we will revisit later in the course where we will elaborate theideas to a much greater extent. Here my main goal is to give you an overarching view of theargument.I. Diagnostic Theses: What is Wrong with Capitalism?First there are a series of theses that can be called “diagnostic theses”, these which attempt tospecify what is wrong with capitalism. We look around the world in which we live and weimmediately confront the juxtaposition of extraordinary wealth and prosperity along withcontinuing human misery, particularly when we look at the world as a whole but also when welook at conditions within our country. In significant ways this misery revolves around materialconditions of life, but it also extends to what might be termed spiritual misery – the loss ofmeaning in people’s life, loneliness, alienation. So, we see a range of ills, symptoms of someunderlying disease. The diagnostic theses of Marxism attempt to provide an account of theunderlying process which generates these problems.Thesis 1. The conditions for Human Flourishing thesis: Human flourishing for the broadmasses of people would be broadly enhanced if they lived (a) in conditions of a radicallyegalitarian distribution of the material conditions of life and (b) within solidaristiccommunities of mutual support and reciprocity.This thesis is captured by the classical distributional slogan advocated by Marx, “To eachaccording to need, from each according to ability” and by the ideal of a “classless” society. This isthe way material resources are distributed within egalitarian families: children with greater needsreceive more resources, and everyone is expected to contribute as best they can to the tasksneeded by the family. This is also the way books are distributed in public libraries underconditions of progressive taxation: you check out what you need, not what you can afford, andyou contribute to the support of the library through taxes based on ability to pay. Thisdistributional principle also affirms an ideal of community and reciprocity: I serve you because ofyour needs, not because of what I can get out of it. The radical egalitarianism of the Marxisttradition affirms that human flourishing in general would be enhanced if these principles could begeneralized to the society as a whole.The radical egalitarian claim in the conditions for human flourishing thesis as stated here isnot, in and of itself, a thesis about justice. The claim is that human beings will generally flourishbetter under such egalitarian conditions than under conditions of inequality and hierarchy, andSociology 121. Lectures 1 & 2 3therefore it is in the interests of most people to support moves towards egalitarianism, but thisneed not imply that it is a requirement of justice that such flourishing be promoted. Marx