marxism

Question 1

when was the American Gilded age?

Answer 1

second half of 19th century

Question 2

what does gilded mean?

Answer 2

to be gold plated

Question 3

how did post civil war, state owned manufacturing transition out of producing military supplies?

Answer 3

privatized by wealthy individuals

Question 4

when and where was Karl Marx born

Answer 4

1818, Trier Germany

Question 5

what was Marx’s profession?

Answer 5

journalist

Question 6

why did Marx flee Germany and where did he go?

Answer 6

London because of German censorship

Question 7

who was his best friend?

Answer 7

Friedrich Engels

Question 8

who was Friedrich Engle?

Answer 8

wealthy man (father owned cotton plant in Manchester) who paid Marx’s debt and made sure his work was published

Question 9

what were the four reasons Marx believed modern work was bad?

Answer 9

1. alienation - workers need to see themselves in the work they do to have sense of contribution to society
2. insecure- everyone is replaceable
3. primitive accumulation- lower wages to increase profit margin. profit= exploitation
4. unstable- crises occur because of an abundance and excess of production

Question 10

what is primitive accumulation

Answer 10

the act of lowering wages to increase the profit margin

Question 11

why is modern work alienating

Answer 11

workers should see themselves in the objects they create
-specialised jobs lead to uninspired people without sense of societal contribution

Question 12

why is capitalism bad for capitalists?

Answer 12

commodity fetishism - economic interests at the centre of peoples lives

Question 13

how is bourgeois marriage affected by commodity fetishism?

Answer 13

marriage viewed as an extension of business rather than act of love, leading to unstable and unhappy family units

Question 14

4 ideologies that reinforce capitalist ideas?

Answer 14

1. someone who doesn’t work is worthless
2. excess leisure is sinful
3. over consumption
4. worthwhile things/people will make money

Question 15

what is an ideology

Answer 15

set of ideas that reinforce political/economic systems

Question 16

what is the biggest evil of capitalism

Answer 16

pressures people into being anxious, competitive, compliant and politically complacent

Question 17

what is Marx’s ideal world?

Answer 17

• no private property/ inherited wealth
• steep income tax
• centralised control of banking, transport, communication
  -free public education

Question 18

what are the stages of marxism

Answer 18

1. primitive communism
2. imperialism
3. feudalism
4. capitalism
5. socialism
6. communism

Question 19

what is marx’s stage of primitive communism

Answer 19

no classes or private property, communities worked together to survive, most successful hunter/gatherer had control

Question 20

what is marx’s stage of imperialism

Answer 20

land owning autocracies who’s aim was to have the most territory

Question 21

what is marx’s stage of feudalism

Answer 21

land owned by aristocracy and exploitation of lower classes. surplus leading to new class of merchants

Question 22

what were the two classes in marx’s stage of capitalism

Answer 22

-bourgeoisie (middle class) factory owners/merchants
- proletariat (working class)

Question 23

why according to marx did people accept capitalism?

Answer 23

the 3 great deceptions- church, trade unions and parliamentary democracy

Question 24

what does Marx’s socialist stage theory look like?

Answer 24

proletariat become politically aware and over throw the bourgeoisie. food and other goods would be distributed fairly by need

Question 25

what was marx’s communist utopia like?

Answer 25

everyone working together for the common good- no need for money or government. class-less. the world would be state-less

Question 26

prominent American families who privatised during the gilded age

Answer 26

1. Vanderbilt’s
2. Rockefellers
3. Roosevelts