Marxism

Question 1

How did Marx describe this theory?

Answer 1

scientific socialism - a continuation of the enlightenment project

Question 2

How did Marx see progress?

Answer 2

he did not see it as a smooth and gradual evolution

Question 3

After his death, what did his ideas form the basis of?

Answer 3

Communism

Question 4

Marx - historical materialism

Answer 4

the view that humans have material needs
they used the forces of production
as the forces of production grow and develop, so do the social relations of production and a division of labour develops
- A class that owns MOP (bougeoisie)
- a class of labourers (proletariat)
MOP forms the economic base of society
this economic base determines the superstructure of institutions, ideas, beliefs and behaviour (base superstructure model)

Question 5

Marx - class, society and exploitation

Answer 5

describes early classless society as primitive communism
consecutive class society:
ancient society - exploitation of slaves
feudal society - exploitation of serfs
Capitalist society - exploitation of free wage labourers

Question 6

Marx - Capitalism

Answer 6

proletariat legally free and separated from MOP but sell labour power to the bourgeoisie in order to survive
proletariat do not receive the value of the goods they produce but the cost of subsistence while bourgeoisie keep surplus value
ownership of MOP becomes concentrated in fewer hands
capitalism expands the forces of production in pursuit of profit

Question 7

Marx - class consciousness

Answer 7

capitalism sows the seeds of own destruction
creates conditions under which the W/C can develop consciousness of own economic and political interest in opposition to those of the exploiters
Proletariat moves from being a class in itself to being a class for itself where members are class conscious