Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Karl Marx- Historical Materialism
- 1. Origins &
Influences.
- 1818-1883, German, Jewish, m.class.
- Influence of philosophical idealism, economic
utilitarianism and social utopianism.
- 2. Rejecting
Liberal Form.
- Rejected the idea that liberal form, gradual
emancipation would be enough to redder the
'social crisis'. The bourgeois would claim
political and social rights and extend them to
the rest of society- this is a mistake.
- the real material foundation of such rights
lays with owner of property as the
bourgeois depend on posesion of property.
- 3. Differences
with Hegel.
- 1. Marx was more practical and
empirical than Hegel. For Marx, Hegels
discussion of 'spirit' as the force driving
history was abstract and mythical.
- 2. For Marx, the state springs of
society. Its not ideas that determine
the material world but rather the
material world shaping ideas.
- 3. Ideas cannot be understood in
isolation but rather in direct
relation to the social context.
- 4. Similarities
with Hegel.
- 1. Both saw human
history based on
conflict. History shows
civilisation has been
progressively coerced
into human labour
driven by greed.
- 2. Work becomes
inhuman and
contradicts
nature. Capitalists
drain away
productive life.
- 5. Do we need Capitalism?
- Yes! its a 'creative
destruction. its a force
which will provoke a new
epoch of social change.
In the modern world, old
ways of life, beliefs,
social relations dissolve
under the pressures of
material transformation
.e.g. rise of
technology/medical help
- or gods will?
Industrialisation
enlightened individuals.
- 6. Materiality & Historicity.
- a) Physical organisation &
Physical needs. Physical
organisation of individuals is
done in relation to nature.
Distinguish to humans- men
distinguish themselves to
animals as soon as they begin
to produce their means of
subsistence. By doing so, men
are indirect in producing their
actual material life. What
humans are coincides with
their production, both with
wha they produce and how
they produce it.
- Nature of individuals depends on the material
conditioning determining their production.
- b) Development of human needs. Satisfaction of
the first needs leads to new needs and this
production of new needs is the first historical act.
- c) The Family - men who daily remake their own
life begin to make other men to propagate their
kind: shapes, men, women, parents etc.
- d) Human life as both natural and social
relationship. Production of life- double
relationship. It's natural and social.
- 7. Being &
Consciousness
- Production of ideas, conceptions,
consciousness is DIRECTLY interwoven with
material activity. Consciousness is
determined by life- it is a social by product.
- 8. Society & Class
- 1. In every stratified society, there is class structure.
Class structure changes due to class interest. Members
of class interest have class ideology and class
domination. Some classes are more powerful than
others. e.g. Bourgeoisie are dominant.
- 2. Class Antagonism -
interest of two classes
cannot be reconciled.
They are in direct
conflict- only solution is
to have a classless
society. There will
always be a class
struggle. A class itself
should become a class
initself = Communism.
- 9. Alienation
- 1. Alienation is an experience of
isolation. Alienated labour is not the
satisfaction of a need but a means to
satisfy needs. Sense of alienation-
alienated when you are doing
something for other needs e.g.
money. Most people in capitalist
society are alienated
- a) Alienation from the product -
alienated from the product because
its owned by the capitalist.
Relationship of the worker to the
product of his labour as an alien
object that has power over him.
- b) Alienation from other
producers - alienation from
man from man. When man is
opposed to himself, its
another man opposed to him.
- c) Alienation from the producing
process - he's at home when not
working and not home when he's
working. Relationship of the worker to
his own activity as something that is
alien and does not belong to him.
- 10. Society & Development
- Base & Superstructure -
economic infrastructure
shapes the superstructure.
The superstructure is used to
maintain and legitimate the
base e.g. Religion -'opium of
the people' accepting your
position - distort.