Marx's Theories PDF

PREFACE - Marx uses this metaphor of the roadmap to karl marx intellectual base and superstructure to project illustrate this concept bourgeois economy - capitalism, - Marx argues that the...

PREFACE - Marx uses this metaphor of the roadmap to karl marx intellectual base and superstructure to project illustrate this concept bourgeois economy - capitalism, - Marx argues that the he sees it as a dominant economic superstructure, while it might system of his time appear to be independent, is THREE KEY ELEMENTS ultimately shaped and influenced 1. capital by that economic base. 2. land, property 3. labor antagonistic system. The potential downfall of capitalism itself. poor is theft - it wasn't simply about people internal contradictions stealing wood. It exposed these Marx believed that every conflicts over land ownership, economic system contains within over resource rights, about the it the seeds of its own destruction growing disparities between the wealthy and the poor in 19th facts: century Prussia. And in these It's not about understanding the debates, Marx realized they were past, it's about questioning the like these microcosms of these present. larger economic forces at play. it's not our thoughts, our ideas that shape the world, but the architectural analogy material conditions of our lives. imagine a building. It's a complete inversion of how base we typically understand history. - represents the economic Marx would argue that we need foundation of a society. to examine the economic - example: the means of disparities, the struggles over production, the distribution of resources, the tensions between resources, the relationships different classes within French between different classes that are society. involved in the production and then the superstructure that encompasses everything else. - So politics, law, religion, art, philosophy, all of that.  THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO PROLETARIAT bourgeausie - those who don’t own anything - more fundamental than being rich, it except their ability to work, their is class that control how things are labor which they sell to bourgeasie made like the means of production. for wages, the WORKERS. - it’s not just bcos they’re rich, it’s - build the wealth that the bourgeasie because how they fit or they role accumulate. into the system of making & selling things ALIENATION - put an end into feudal & patriarchal - doing everything for wages system with capitalism we become alienated means of production from our labor - think of it as anything you used to - example: doing it for the money, like make goods and services (factories, a machine, work doesn’t have any land, tools) meaning anymore - whoever control these things control the economy, whoever controls the alienation from the product economy, controls the society. - the capitalist own what u make - your creativity is used for someone facts else’s profit Marx sees bourgeausie as a massive advancement (discoveries alienated from our humanity & advancement), their need to - capitalism turns us into parts of innovate & expand machine instead of people Marx argues this drive, this need to - we are valuable of what we can always change how we do things produce, we are replaceable would push them to make a global system that looks just like them, their marx said that technology is a double edged lifestyle. sword you can almost see this today, - it can make our life easier, but under companies disrupt industries, build capitalism it can also make the rich empires & change how we live. richer - a dystopian future where machines DOWNFALL takeover (we’re seeing this - all this success will eventually lead happening) to their distruction, he called it as - marx thought it could be a good CASH NEXUS where everything thing but needed to rethink our comes down to its monetary value. relationship with it, who & how we - they’re changing not just the take control of it. economy but how people relate to each other, how we act. REVOLUTION (classless society)  - Marx was pretty sure it was coming - represents a commodity's value in but didn’t know what it would look trade, measured by how much of like. other goods or labor it can be - Marx sees revolution as a more of exchanged for. This value abstracts historical process driven by from practical use and is quantified capitalism itself, inevitable. in terms of labor-time spent on production. are marx’s still relevant today? - yes, even when u don’t agree to everything he says, it’s important for understanding the world today, it can make us be critical, more informed, & more engaged. RELIGION & FAMILY STRUCTURES Marx sees these being really connected to power and oppression, like tools the ruling class use to stay in power. Religion gives people false hope, promises them a better life after they die but ignore their suffering happening. FAMILY STRUCTURES Marx was critical about traditional family structure, like the father having the authority, a patriarchal family. ex: families wealth and properties that are passed down from one generation to other, they reinforce existing power structures. Chapter 1: The Commodity Use-value - is the practical utility of an object— what it can do or how it satisfies a human need, independent of social factors, realized only when consumed. Exchange Value