Socialism- KT- Karl Marc Flashcards
What are Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’ key ideas about socialism?
The Centrality of Social Class:
• Marx and Engels emphasized the importance of class struggle throughout history, arising from conflicts over property ownership.
• They believed history followed a teleological process, with a final destination of communism.
Historical Materialism:
• Historical development is driven by material conditions rather than ideas.
• Economic systems evolve through contradictions and conflict between classes, leading to inevitable societal change.
Dialectic Change:
• Inspired by Hegel, they proposed that historical change occurs through contradictions within a system, resolved through a synthesis that transforms society.
Revolutionary Class Consciousness:
• Capitalism inherently exploits the proletariat (working class) for the benefit of a minority ruling class (bourgeoisie).
• Over time, the proletariat will recognize their exploitation and develop class consciousness, leading to revolutionary action.
What is Marx and Engels’ vision for the future?
Capitalism’s Downfall:
• Capitalism, with its cycles of crises and recessions, benefits only a small ruling class while creating increasing misery for the majority.
• Eventually, the proletariat will overthrow capitalism through revolution.
The Dictatorship of the Proletariat:
• A transitional phase where the working class holds political power, restructuring society and dismantling capitalist systems.
The Stateless Communist Society:
• After the transition, the state will “wither away,” resulting in a classless, stateless society based on common ownership of resources.
• This will mark the end of history as all contradictions are resolved, allowing humanity to fully express its common social nature.
How do Marx and Engels view humans and society?
Humans as Social Beings:
• Human nature is shaped by social conditions and can only truly flourish under communism.
• Capitalism alienates humans from their true potential by reducing them to commodities in the labor market.
How do Marx and Engels view humans and society?
Humans as Social Beings:
• Human nature is shaped by social conditions and can only truly flourish under communism.
• Capitalism alienates humans from their true potential by reducing them to commodities in the labor market.
What are their key works and their significance?
The Communist Manifesto (1848):
• A revolutionary call to action, outlining the principles of communism and predicting the overthrow of capitalism by the proletariat.
Das Kapital (1867):
• A detailed critique of capitalism, analyzing its economic systems, contradictions, and inevitable collapse.
What is a useful quote from Marx?
• “Accumulation of wealth at one pole is at the same time accumulation of misery, agony of toil, slavery, ignorance, brutality, mental degradation at the opposite pole.”
• This highlights the inherent inequalities and exploitation within capitalism.
