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Karl Marx - Coggle Diagram
Karl Marx
Alienation
Wanted to show that freedom in capitalist countries is mere false consciousness and that freedom is actually alienation. Real freedom is doing what one wants to do and is the source of happiness and well being.
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Marx's Theory
Exploitation will end when we destroy not just god but the entire structure of capitalism. According to Marx, the real cause of alienation is capitalism.
True freedom lies in living according to our true nature, doing what we want to do in the manner we want to. Man is in essence, social and creative by nature.
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Historical Materialism
Purpose
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Marx held that in order to understand history scientifically, we have to understand what was the first historical act of man. He wanted to know whether thinking or action is more important.
It is ‘false consciousness to think that the role of intellectuals is more important than those of workers.
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In order to make history, man has to live. In order to live man has to eat. In order to eat, man has to work or perform action.
Origin of Society
The basic structure of society is the economic structure and all relations are ‘relations of production.
Whatever happens in the society, economy is the factor behind it. State, church, family, educational institutions and media are all superstructures. Superstructure is a reflection of the base.
According to Marx, society is the division of labor. People form society for the task of production.
Hence, there is no point studying the elements of superstructure, rather what is needed is to understand the features of basic structure. There is no point changing the political system without changing the economic system.
Consciousness
Class in itself
Class in itself denotes low level of consciousness. When person understands that he belongs to a particular class or when worker understands that he is from working class and the capitalist is from the other class.
Class for itself
This is high level consciousness, when a person understands that the interest of his class and that of other class is antagonistic. Person realizes his exploitation and takes up arms.
“It is not our consciousness that determines our existence, it is our existence that determines our consciousness.”
In every epoch the ideas of ruling class have been ruling ideas'. Hence, workers shouldn't subscribe to the theories of their existence given by the intellectual class. Marx is even against religion and describes it as 'the opium of masses'.
He suggests working class to develop their true consciousness by understanding their existential conditions objectively. Once that is done, the working class will transfer from 'class in itself' to 'class for itself'.
Criticism
Max Weber- Simplistic Stratification: property alone is not a determinant of social class. Religion has also given rise to capitalism.
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Class and Class Struggle
- Class is a person's status w.r.t means of production.
- Among the 2 classes, 'haves and have nots' one is the exploiter and the other is exploited. There is always conflict of interest and class struggle.
Marx's Theory of Class struggle is influenced by Darwin's Theory of Struggle of Existence. Marx has applied historical and dialectical materialism in this theory.
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Background
Praxis
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For Karl Marx no action can be successful if it lacks proper understanding and no theory can be successful if it doesn't lead to action.
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Influences
French Revolution
French Revolution called for equality and fraternity. People like Louis Blanc tried to bring a socialist revolution but failed because it was action without theory.
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Revolution
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Marx believed that workers should lead themselves when they are fully aware and can protect themselves from contradiction.
Marxism is meant for only those countries where capitalism has fully advanced so that all its contradictions are understood.
Lenin
Due to colonization, the focus of exploitation in western countries shifted from the proletariat to colonies and capitalists in the west could now afford to pay their workers and the countries could now provide social security.
Lenin, however, was a man of action and was set on implementing communist ideals as he was confident that Marxist ideals were bound to emerge sooner or later.
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