Lecture 12 Marx and Engels

Question 1

Who was Karl Marx?

Answer 1

Marx (1818–1883) was a German philosopher, economist, and political theorist who co-authored The Communist Manifesto with Engels. He critiqued capitalism and developed theories on historical materialism and communism.

Question 2

What is historical materialism?

Answer 2

A theory that material conditions, particularly economic ones, shape society, politics, and culture. It emphasizes the role of class struggle in societal evolution.

Question 3

What is Marx’s concept of human nature?

Answer 3

Humans are inherently social, productive, and creative beings, shaping their lives and environment through conscious activity.

Question 4

What are the bourgeoisie and proletariat?

Answer 4

The bourgeoisie owns the means of production and exploits labor, while the proletariat is the working class dependent on selling their labor.

Question 5

What is exploitation in capitalism?

Answer 5

Capitalists profit by extracting surplus value from workers, paying them less than the value of what they produce.

Question 6

What is alienation, according to Marx?

Answer 6

A condition where workers are disconnected from their labor, the products they create, themselves, and others, resulting from capitalist exploitation.

Question 7

What are the four dimensions of alienation?

Answer 7

Alienation from the product (loss of ownership), productive activity (monotonous, uncreative work), self (loss of potential), and others (relationships based on competition).

Question 8

What is the base-superstructure model?

Answer 8

The economic base (forces and relations of production) shapes the superstructure (culture, politics, ideology), which in turn reinforces the base.

Question 9

What is class struggle?

Answer 9

The ongoing conflict between classes (e.g., bourgeoisie vs. proletariat) that drives historical change.

Question 10

What is surplus value?

Answer 10

The difference between the value a worker produces and the wages they are paid, which is appropriated by capitalists.

Question 11

What are the crises of capitalism?

Answer 11

Capitalism’s inherent contradictions, such as overproduction, periodic economic crashes, and increasing inequality, lead to instability and eventual collapse.

Question 12

What is the dictatorship of the proletariat?

Answer 12

A transitional phase where the working class holds political power to dismantle capitalist structures and move toward communism.

Question 13

What is communism, according to Marx?

Answer 13

A classless society where the means of production are collectively owned, and individuals contribute based on ability and receive based on need.

Question 14

What is Marx’s critique of the Gotha Programme?

Answer 14

Marx critiqued the program for being vague and for failing to emphasize the transition from capitalism to communism, including the redistribution of wealth.

Question 15

How does Marx describe the transition from capitalism to communism?

Answer 15

Through increasing worker consciousness, worsening class antagonisms (vijandigheid), and a proletariat-led revolution.

Question 16

What is commodification in capitalism?

Answer 16

The transformation of goods, labor, and even social relations into commodities bought and sold in the market.

Question 17

What is the role of technology in capitalism, according to Marx?

Answer 17

Technology increases productivity and profits but also exacerbates (verergeren) exploitation, unemployment, and crises.

Question 18

What are the main ideas in The Communist Manifesto?

Answer 18

History is driven by class struggle, capitalism’s contradictions lead to revolution, and communism abolishes private property and class distinctions.

Question 19

What is the relationship between ideology and power in Marx’s theory?

Answer 19

The ruling class’s ideas dominate society, legitimizing their power and obscuring exploitation.

Question 20

What is Marx’s critique of political emancipation?

Answer 20

Political equality (e.g., rights and laws) under capitalism is insufficient because it doesn’t address economic exploitation and class inequality.

Question 21

What are specific examples of alienation in modern work environments?

Answer 21

Modern examples include monotonous factory work, gig economy jobs with no ownership, and lack of fulfillment in repetitive tasks.

Question 22

What is the Development Thesis?

Answer 22

The development thesis states that the forces of production (technology, tools, and labor) grow and evolve over time, driving changes in society.

Question 23

What are the forces of production?

Answer 23

Forces of production include the tools, technology, labor, and knowledge used to produce goods and services.

Question 24

What is the Primacy Thesis I?

Answer 24

Primacy Thesis I states that the forces of production determine the relations of production, meaning that how we produce things influences the social and economic relationships between people, such as workers and owners.

Question 25

How do the forces of production shape the relations of production?

Answer 25

When the forces of production evolve (e.g., the invention of machines), they change how society organizes labor and ownership, leading to new economic systems (e.g., capitalism).

Question 26

What is the Primacy Thesis II?

Answer 26

Primacy Thesis II states that the relations of production determine the superstructure, meaning that social systems like culture, laws, politics, and ideologies are shaped to support the economic relationships in society.

Question 27

What is the superstructure in Marxist theory?

Answer 27

The superstructure includes institutions like government, religion, education, and culture, which reflect and reinforce the economic base (relations of production).

Question 28

How are the three theses connected?

Answer 28

1) Forces of production grow (Development Thesis), 2) This growth determines how people relate economically (Primacy Thesis I), 3) These economic relationships shape culture, laws, and institutions (Primacy Thesis II).

Question 29

Can you give an example that connects the three theses?

Answer 29

During the Industrial Revolution, machines (forces of production) led to factories and wage labor (relations of production), which created laws and ideologies promoting capitalism (superstructure).