Marx

Question 1

Who was Marx?

Answer 1

German economist/philosopher
1818-1883
Wrote Das Kapital and the Communist Manifesto

Question 2

What did Marx feel about modern work?

Answer 2

That is alienates people as they cannot see the value in their work
Modern work is insecure and people can be abandoned
Workers see the rich getting rich and them getting poor
Too many crises in capitalism/causes anxiety

Question 3

According to Marx what causes change?

Answer 3

The means of production (economic factors) led to the people to revolt and cause a change

Question 4

Therefore, according to Marx what is the key to revolution?

Answer 4

Class struggle

Question 5

What are the four key points to Marx’s historiography?

Answer 5

1. Class conflict propels historical development
2. Power is critical and held only by a specific group
3. Atheistic - religion is the opiate of the masses
4. Historical materialism - history unfolds in a series of stages which evolve due to material conditions

Question 6

Is Marx gender blind?

Answer 6

Yes, he didn’t include women as a category but conceded that their were exploited for capitalism

Question 7

What was Marx relationship with Engels?

Answer 7

Engels was a businessman, he had investigated poverty and the poor in England during the IR. He had business experience and was able to put the two together

Question 8

What did Engels say about data and god?

Answer 8

That as soon as we have data and can interpret patterns etc. that God is no longer needed as an explanation

Question 9

How did Marx draw on Hegel?

Answer 9

1. Agree on society moving towards a definite end
2. Draws on dialectic as a mechanism of change
3. Draws on idea about something sparking change but it wasn’t ideas
4. Both use the concept of the state

Question 10

What did Marx think about ideas?

Answer 10

He didn’t believe that ideas were sufficient for historical change

Question 11

What is the mode of production?

Answer 11

The way in which things are done to generate money in the economy

Question 12

What were Marx’s stages of history?

Answer 12

1. Tribal
2. Primitive Communism
3. Feudal
4. Capitalism
5. Communism

Question 13

What did Marx call political views, culture, values, etc.

Answer 13

Superstructure

Question 14

Why did Marx think that Hegel’s dialectic was on its head?

Answer 14

Hegel thought ideas lead to change

Marx thought changes to material conditions lead to new ideas

Question 15

What book did Engels write in 1845?

Answer 15

Conditions of the working class in England

Question 16

Positive points about Marx?

Answer 16

Clear theory of change over time
Accessible, strong with emotional appeal
Long term and definite account of dialectic progress
Highlights economic history
Revelation tha social class could be an identity
Clear identitfication of history stages

Question 17

Negative points about Marx?

Answer 17

1. Underesstimates every factor that isnt economic
2. Defines class reigidly and ignores other factors in social identity
3. Change happens in ways other than revolution

Question 18

Examples of Marx in action>

Answer 18

French Revolution

Russian Revolution