Karl Marx was born in 1818 in Germany to Jewish parents. He studied law, then philosophy then revolution. Communist Manifesto, he was a Journalist and editor for radical newspapers in Europe. He fled to London where he lived until his death in 1883.
His writing Tombstone 'workers of the world unite' believed you could explain everything about a society by analysing the way economic forces shape social, religious, legal and political processes. 'The philosophers have only interpreted the world- the point however is to change it.'
Aristotle said that man is the rational animal, Plato said man is a political animal, Kant said man is a moral animal, Hegel said man is a historic animal and Marx said that man is a productive animal. Man kind creates the environment it inhabits, 'not a figure in the landscape, but the shaper of the landscape.' Marx was against capitalism as he doesn't think it makes society work. He described man as a 'productive animal' as he believes what we do is productive to who we are. Technological determinism- teleological approach to history (Hegel). He believed history has a process thats driving towards an end.
Marx achieved (according to Engels) a fusion of:
Hegelian philosophy- the belief that process is moving somewhere
British Empiricism- Studying facts
French revolution politics especially socialist politics, is believed to be the way to speed up the teleological process.
Marx method was scientific he believed he was following the same strategy as Darwin. He researched every aspect of society in order to understand it. He worked in the reading room for British museum for years.
A little bit of Hegel
The subject of this historical process is spirit and through history it is seeking self understanding. History ends when there is an absolute spirit. The process works through dialect:
Thesis(proposition)
Antithesis (counter- propositions- contradictions- negation)
Synthesis (combination or refuting of one proposition)
Marx attacks Hegel's dialect idealism/ mysticism, the Geist battle between good and evil, the real dialect was rooted in the real world in money, class struggle. Marx theory of history 'dialectic materialism' was where there was an historical process between man and the material conditions of his existence. There was a class struggle through history and the property was less for the working class, proletariat there was nothing to lose and gain, 'nothing to lose but their chains' (Rousseau who was also influential to Marx)
Marx theory of Alienation he described was the theory for the reason that people don't fight back in the work place. He said that Capitalism alienates men from themselves and each other. He said people no longer see others as people they see them as commodities. People act to whats expected from you at work and the only reason we go to work is because we are forced to. He said work stops us from being ourselves but at the same time work defines us as people. The bourgeoise (factory owners/ production) make us wage labourers as we don't like our jobs but go to work because we have to. To make ourselves feel better we go shopping or to the pub but although we are unhappy we will never give up our jobs.
Communism- The Hegelian Dialect
Thesis- bourgeoisie (free market capitalism, liberal state individual rights)
Anthesis- The proletariat
Synthesis- Socialism
'Capitalism produces its own grave- diggers. The system of the market doesn't work (Capitalism) as he says workers can't afford the product of their labourers which leads to unemployment and a market crash. Capitalism will try to survive by investing in better technology, exporting products. However Marx thought that these were temporary ideas. As he is historically determinist he believes that the fall of Capitalism and rise of proletariat are equally inevitable. The Revolution was a dictatorship of the proletariat which came from Socialism and was the idea that you take the money and share it out to all of the people equally. Then the workers will seize means of production and produce goods to meet the needs of society. There will be no control from the Government and everyone will be equal once this is all forgotten about which means communism occurs.
'Communism will be a garden of Eden very similar to that described by John Lennon in 'imagine', no country, no possessions (other than personal property, no religion)' - Chris Horrie
Marx then said there is now no difference between mental and physical labour. We will all be equal worth- from a Philosopher to a Fisherman. 'From each accruing to ability, to each according to need.' This means that everyone no matter what their job are equal as someone will always need them.
The Revolutions 1848- Spring of Nations (idea of Nationalism) where there was a flowering intellectual life between 1848 and 1933 in Germany with people such as Freud, Marx, Einstein, this period was known as 'The German Century'.
The failure of revolution had profound effects- Germany failed to make the political advances that had been achieved (via revolutions) in England, Holland, France and America. Aristocracy remained in control of power and the middle class were excluded from political power. Therefore they turned back to education and culture the primary factors of socialisation. Freedom began to be viewed as within the individual rather than society. It was believed Romanticism has a story/ narrative which sprang from the idea of Nationalism in the 19th century.
The growth of Prussia lead to the creation of the German State and Hegel's view of Prussia lead to the creation of Germany being seen as inevitable.
His writing Tombstone 'workers of the world unite' believed you could explain everything about a society by analysing the way economic forces shape social, religious, legal and political processes. 'The philosophers have only interpreted the world- the point however is to change it.'
Aristotle said that man is the rational animal, Plato said man is a political animal, Kant said man is a moral animal, Hegel said man is a historic animal and Marx said that man is a productive animal. Man kind creates the environment it inhabits, 'not a figure in the landscape, but the shaper of the landscape.' Marx was against capitalism as he doesn't think it makes society work. He described man as a 'productive animal' as he believes what we do is productive to who we are. Technological determinism- teleological approach to history (Hegel). He believed history has a process thats driving towards an end.
Marx achieved (according to Engels) a fusion of:
Hegelian philosophy- the belief that process is moving somewhere
British Empiricism- Studying facts
French revolution politics especially socialist politics, is believed to be the way to speed up the teleological process.
Marx method was scientific he believed he was following the same strategy as Darwin. He researched every aspect of society in order to understand it. He worked in the reading room for British museum for years.
A little bit of Hegel
The subject of this historical process is spirit and through history it is seeking self understanding. History ends when there is an absolute spirit. The process works through dialect:
Thesis(proposition)
Antithesis (counter- propositions- contradictions- negation)
Synthesis (combination or refuting of one proposition)
Marx attacks Hegel's dialect idealism/ mysticism, the Geist battle between good and evil, the real dialect was rooted in the real world in money, class struggle. Marx theory of history 'dialectic materialism' was where there was an historical process between man and the material conditions of his existence. There was a class struggle through history and the property was less for the working class, proletariat there was nothing to lose and gain, 'nothing to lose but their chains' (Rousseau who was also influential to Marx)
Marx theory of Alienation he described was the theory for the reason that people don't fight back in the work place. He said that Capitalism alienates men from themselves and each other. He said people no longer see others as people they see them as commodities. People act to whats expected from you at work and the only reason we go to work is because we are forced to. He said work stops us from being ourselves but at the same time work defines us as people. The bourgeoise (factory owners/ production) make us wage labourers as we don't like our jobs but go to work because we have to. To make ourselves feel better we go shopping or to the pub but although we are unhappy we will never give up our jobs.
Communism- The Hegelian Dialect
Thesis- bourgeoisie (free market capitalism, liberal state individual rights)
Anthesis- The proletariat
Synthesis- Socialism
'Capitalism produces its own grave- diggers. The system of the market doesn't work (Capitalism) as he says workers can't afford the product of their labourers which leads to unemployment and a market crash. Capitalism will try to survive by investing in better technology, exporting products. However Marx thought that these were temporary ideas. As he is historically determinist he believes that the fall of Capitalism and rise of proletariat are equally inevitable. The Revolution was a dictatorship of the proletariat which came from Socialism and was the idea that you take the money and share it out to all of the people equally. Then the workers will seize means of production and produce goods to meet the needs of society. There will be no control from the Government and everyone will be equal once this is all forgotten about which means communism occurs.
'Communism will be a garden of Eden very similar to that described by John Lennon in 'imagine', no country, no possessions (other than personal property, no religion)' - Chris Horrie
Marx then said there is now no difference between mental and physical labour. We will all be equal worth- from a Philosopher to a Fisherman. 'From each accruing to ability, to each according to need.' This means that everyone no matter what their job are equal as someone will always need them.
The Revolutions 1848- Spring of Nations (idea of Nationalism) where there was a flowering intellectual life between 1848 and 1933 in Germany with people such as Freud, Marx, Einstein, this period was known as 'The German Century'.
The failure of revolution had profound effects- Germany failed to make the political advances that had been achieved (via revolutions) in England, Holland, France and America. Aristocracy remained in control of power and the middle class were excluded from political power. Therefore they turned back to education and culture the primary factors of socialisation. Freedom began to be viewed as within the individual rather than society. It was believed Romanticism has a story/ narrative which sprang from the idea of Nationalism in the 19th century.
The growth of Prussia lead to the creation of the German State and Hegel's view of Prussia lead to the creation of Germany being seen as inevitable.
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