Marxist Flashcards
Ferdinand de Saussure
(1857-1913) Swiss linguist, known as the founder of structuralism.
His innovative ideas influenced linguistics, anthropology, sociology, and the humanities in general.
Psychologically our thought—apart from its expression in words—is only a shapeless and indistinct mass. Philosophers and linguists have always agreed in recognizing that without the help of signs we would be unable to make a clear-cut, consistent distinction between two ideas. Without language, thought is a vague, uncharted nebula. There are no pre-existing ideas, and nothing is distinct before the appearance of language (1a).
Saussure
our thoughts can be messy and unclear when we don’t use words. Both philosophers and language experts believe that without words or signs, it’s hard to separate and understand different ideas clearly. Without language, our thoughts are like a cloud—undefined and confusing. We don’t have clear ideas until we use language to shape and define them.
Langue
Langue: the system of rules and conventions for word formation and sentence structure (which is independent of, and pre-exists, individual users): the whole set of linguistic habits which allow an individual to understand and to be understood.
Parole
its use in particular instances (what anyone actually says/writes)
Sign
Anything which stands for something else: i.e.: words, sounds, images, acts, objects, etc. that carry meaning.
Anything can be a sign as long as someone interprets it as ‘signifying’ something - referring to or standing for something other than itself.
Signifer
The form which the sign takes (which signifies) image/sound
(the word) dog, you automatically envision a dog
Signified
Signified: The mental concept or meaning to which the signifier refers
four-legged barking animal
Arbitrariness
There’s no natural link between a word and its meaning. For example, the word “dog” doesn’t have anything dog-like about it; it’s just a sound we all agree means that furry animal. Different languages use different sounds for the same thing, showing that this connection is random and based on what people decide. Example Snow for Inuit Peoples
Difference
Words get their meaning by being different from each other. For example, “cat” means something specific partly because it’s not “bat” or “hat.” The differences between words help us understand what they mean.
Roland Barthes
1915-1980, French
Social & literary critic
Semiotician, influenced by Saussure
Karl Marx
1818-1883
German political economist & philosopher
Friedrich Engels
1820-1895
German social scientist & political theorist
Co-authored The Communist Manifesto (1848)
Marxism
Ideas developed by Marx (and Engles) in the 19c in response to the industrial revolution & industrial capitalism
Goal was to challenge and change the injustices and inequalities of that system
Philosophy, history, economics
Capitalism (a wiki history)
Established in Europe between the 16th-19thC
Emerged as the dominant economic system in the West (the decline of feudalism eroded the political/religious control of economies)
Since the Industrial Revolution, capitalism gradually spread from Europe, particularly from Britain.
In the 19th-20thC, capitalism provided the primary means of industrialization throughout much of the world
Capitalism (defined)
An economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated for profit.
The distribution, production and pricing of goods and services are determined in a largely free market.
Individuals and groups of individuals act as “legal persons” or corporations to trade capital goods, labour and money.
Labour Power
The abstraction of human labour into something that can be exchanged for money.
Marx described the capacity to labour as one of humanity’s most distinctive characteristics.
It is true that labour produces for the rich wonderful things – but for the worker it produces privation. It produces palaces– but for the worker, hovels. It produces beauty– but for the worker, deformity. It replaces labor by machines– but some of the workers it throws back to a barbarous type of labor, and the other workers it turns into machines. It produces intelligence– but for the worker idiocy, cretinism.”
~ 1844 Manuscripts (Karl Marx)
Luxuries for the Rich: The hard work of laborers makes beautiful and impressive things, like palaces, but the workers live in poor, rundown places instead.
Beauty vs. Deformity: While society enjoys beautiful creations, the conditions of the workers can lead to a life that is ugly or painful.
Machines and Labor: As machines take over tasks, some workers are pushed into very tough, primitive kinds of work, while others end up working like machines themselves—performing repetitive tasks without thinking.
Knowledge vs. Ignorance: Though society advances in intelligence and knowledge, many workers may end up feeling ignorant or trapped in a dull, unfulfilling life.
Overall, the quote highlights the unfairness of how labor benefits the rich while often making life difficult for the workers.
The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas: ie the class which is the ruling material force of society is at the same time its ruling intellectual force.
who wrote this and who is the ruling class? how do they rule?
Karl Marx
The ruling class is the social class that holds the most power and influence in society, particularly in terms of economics, politics, and culture. In Marx’s theories, this often refers to the bourgeoisie or the owners of the means of production (factories, land, resources) in a capitalist society. The ruling class maintains control by intertwining economic power, ideological influence, political control, and cultural dominance. This allows them to perpetuate their ideas as the prevailing norms in society.
Base
This is the economic foundation of society, including how goods are produced and the relations between people in the economy (like workers and owners)
Superstructure
This refers to everything else in society built upon the base, like laws, politics, religion, education, and culture. Marx believed that the base shapes the superstructure—meaning the economy influences all these other aspects
Means of Production
This term refers to how goods are made and distributed in society. Questions to consider:
- Who makes things? Do individuals create them for themselves, or do they buy them?
- Do people keep the profits from what they produce, or do they work for someone else and earn a wage without sharing in the profits?
- Marx believed the way we produce things affects our society and relationships.
Proletariat
Workers-They sell their labor to survive and have no substantial assets. They are often exploited by those who own businesses.
Petit-Bourgeoisie
These are small business owners or professionals who serve both the capitalists and workers. They often align more with the wealthier class.
Bourgeoisie
Capitalists-They own the means of production (factories, businesses) and keep the profits. They dominate the working class
