marxism Flashcards
❤️❤️ KARL MARX ❤️❤️
- society is divided into proletariat and bourgeousie- rich minority and poor majority
- the bourgeousie controlled the economic base (society’s infrastructure like work, banks) which meant that they controlled the superstructure (social, cultural and political institutions). This stops them from revolting.
- all superstructure in society ideologically control the proletariat to normalise bourgeousie ideology and their exploitation
- the process of industrialisation resulted in alienation which takes away any joy in workers’ own achievements
- society would become increasingly polarised, and the proletariat would eventually revolt
what are the criticisms of Karl Marx?
(eat the CHIPS)
Capitalism hasn’t lead to a crisis, it is becoming more popular
Healthcare, benefits and pensions all developed after Marx’s death
Ignores role of ideas that maintain capitalism
Polarisation is not as marx predicted because there has been broad growth in the middle class
Social divisions other than class ignored- gender, ethnicity, age, sexuality.
Gramsci and hegemony
- The ruling class maintains dominance through hegemony- ideas passed on through the institutions they control.
- These political and moral beliefs passed down through social institutions justify ruling class dominance
- Gramsci suggested that the subject class were actually aware of this but they didn’t do anything about it- dual consciousness
- through education a new generation of organic intellectuals connected to the masses will challenge hegemonic beliefs and lead revolution.
Gramsci main ideas
(humanistic neo-marxism- emphasis on individual choices)
- deals with the criticism that Marx ignored the role of ideas in social change and that individuals are passive puppets- emphasises the agency of individuals
- coercion and consent is how the ruling class maintain power by…
- dual consciousness- being aware of one’s exploitation but not doing anything about it
- organic/proletarian intellectuals- individuals who give a voice to those that need it, or inspire a social class into action
Louis Althusser main ideas
(structuralist neo-marxism)
- Ideological state apparatus- controls the way that individuals think, meaning that they are less likely to challenge the ruling classes
- Repressive state apparatus- controls through force those who do not conform
- Althusser criticises Marx’s economic base/superstructure model and suggests it is more complicated.
- Capitaist society is made up of three interlocking elements:
1. Economic system- producing all material goods
2. Political system- organising society
3. Ideological system- providing all ideas and beliefs - the economic system has ultimate control but the political and ideological have significant degrees of autonomy
- this means that politics and culture develop and change in response to numerous factors, not just economic ones (like Marx suggested)
historical marxism: development of class groups
- classes develop because some people are able to gain ownership over the means of production
- the other class is forced to work for them because they don’t have the means of generating wealth themselves
historical marxism: foundations of society
the owners of the economic structure are able to control values and social relationships that reflect their interests
historical marxism: economic theory
- everyone who is not the bourgeousie is proletarian, apart form the petit bourgeousie
- petit bourgeousie=those who have the captial to run small businesses but not enough to exploit on a large scale
- these individuals are proletarianised when they are forced out of business
historical marxism: capitalist beliefs
self-interested and distorted beliefs that the enormous inequalities between rich and poor are fair and reasonable
historical marxism: false consciousness
- dominant institutions justify the prevailing economic and social situation
- they don’t realise that it is in their best interest to change society
- class consciousness is developed through strikes and political protests
historical marxism: model through epochs
- 1867/1873 —> economic system of society moulded by its social structure, the owners are able to construct values and social relationships that reflect their own interests
primitive communism (no social classes, no exploitation) —> feudalism —> capitalism —> communism
what happens in pursuit of profit according to Marx? what is his vision of society
capitalists encouraged their ideology that:
- work = good
- leisure = bad
- material items make us happy
- mass production, depriving workers of job satisfaction + exploiting the w/c
- he wanted redistribution of the wealth evenly, property publically owned and education is free for all
why did communism fail?
it impoverished its subjects and tyrannised rather than being based on co operation
why is marx still relevant?
global disparity between rich and poor very wide, we live in a capitalist society, rich richer, poor poorer, captialism would lead to boom and bust economics, globalisation and a small number of companies dominating society
what did marx get wrong?
underestimated that capitalism can make more people more wealthy because mass production has made everything cheaper, extreme poverty has fallen, welfare states and NHS redistribute the wealth and education is free
