Chapter 4.2 Karl Marx and Marxism

Question 1

What is limitation of marxism?

Answer 1

It is wide ranging and in the context of Britain (not with international economic relations)

Question 2

What are the important elements of marxist thought?

Answer 2

Materialist philosophy
Class conflict
Vanishing role of the state

Question 3

Explain materialist philosphy of marxism

Answer 3

It is one of the key elements of marxist thought.

economic forces and interests are the main driving force of history. Political systems, institutions and cultures reflect underlying material realities

Question 4

Explain class conflict of marxism

Answer 4

one of key elements of marxist thought.

history evolves as a series of struggles between opposing forces, or classes, that are rooted in the economic system of that time.

In the capitalist era, capitalists and the proletariat are locked into conflict over control of the productive forces of the economy. It is out of this conflict that the source of change, revolutionary, will spring.

class conflict –> socialist revolution –> communist economy

Question 5

Explain vanishing role of the state of marxism

Answer 5

one of key elements of marxist thought

merely a representative of the dominant class in society.

Question 6

Why did marxist view global capitalism optimistically?

Answer 6

marx welcomed colonial expansion as a way of spreading capitalism and of overcoming what he saw as backward economic systems in countries such as India